A READING FROM JOHN
1 Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 2 There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. 3 Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
MESSAGE IN A PARAGRAPH OR TWO
Out of love and devotion, Mary anointed Jesus with a very expensive perfume. Anoint means to rub with oil in a religious ceremony. Jesus knew that he was on his way to Jerusalem. He recognized the anointing as preparation for his burial.
Out of enormous love for his disciples, Jesus would wash their feet before the Passover meal. Out of love for us and the whole world, Jesus would die on a Roman cross.
So now love has come to us. There is an old Bible School song, “We love, because he first loved us.” As we continue to move through Lent and towards Holy Week, to whom can each of us show the love of God?