Evening
Our gospel for this morning! Here we are with Jesus in Bethany, on the outskirts of Jerusalem. He is in the elegant home of Lazarus, a beloved friend and prominent, even wealthy, local resident who has invited Jesus and his traveling companions to dinner. It is a special evening, Martha has prepared a wonderful meal of roast lamb with vegetables and thick gravy and loaves of homemade bread. The house is fragrant with delicious smells. Mary does something gracious and extraordinary. Instead of the usual custom of offering the guests fresh water to wash their feet after their trip, she breaks open a large jar of expensive ointment and rubs Jesus‘ feet with it. In an instant everything changes, and the stage is set, not only for Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, but changes for all time forever. Just outside the door and over Calvary’s Hill, waits the Cross in the shadows of the evening.
John 12:1-8 The Voice (VOICE)
1 Six days before the Passover feast, Jesus journeyed to the village of Bethany, to the home of Lazarus who had recently been raised from the dead, 2 where they hosted Him for dinner. Martha was busy serving as the hostess, Lazarus reclined at the table with Him, 3 and Mary took a pound of fine ointment, pure nard (which is both rare and expensive), and anointed Jesus’ feet with it; and then she wiped them with her hair. As the pleasant fragrance of this extravagant ointment filled the entire house, 4 Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples (who was plotting to betray Jesus), began to speak.
Judas Iscariot: 5 How could she pour out this vast amount of fine oil? Why didn’t she sell it? It is worth nearly a year’s wages;[a] the money could have been given to the poor.
6 This had nothing to do with Judas’s desire to help the poor. The truth is he served as the treasurer, and he helped himself to the money from the common pot at every opportunity.
Jesus: 7 Leave her alone. She has observed this custom in anticipation of the day of My burial. 8 The poor are ever present, but I will be leaving.