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Anointed with Love

Mary, Martha, Lazarus were three of Jesus' closest friends - disciples yes, but not one of the 12 that accompanied Jesus day in and day out.  These three were the kind of friends that you just "hang out with"...the kind of friends that don't mind you dropping by and sharing a cup of coffee, or a story, some laughs.   They each were unique, and even though we know the Lazarus story fairly well, it's the sisters who are most prominent.
Yesterday I shared about Martha, but today belongs to Mary.  Here's the passage again:
John 12:1-11 (NLT)
1 Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus—the man he had raised from the dead.
2 A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him.
3 Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.
4 But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said,
5 “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.”
6 Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself.
7 Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial.
8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”
9 When all the people heard of Jesus’ arrival, they flocked to see him and also to see Lazarus, the man Jesus had raised from the dead.
10 Then the leading priests decided to kill Lazarus, too,
11 for it was because of him that many of the people had deserted them and believed in Jesus.
Mary had long ago cast her lot towards Jesus.  She sat at his feet to learn from him and Jesus said of it,  "Mary has chosen the better" when Martha complained.  Martha's service was an act of worship, but Mary's act of worship must have caught everyone by surprise.
The dinner was a success...all were eating, talking, sharing stories...perhaps listening to Lazarus as he explained what he felt like as he awoke from his death sleep.
Suddenly Mary comes in the room with this jar of perfume.  As she pours it on Jesus' feet, she kneels before him, her hair serving as the brush that spreads it all over...and fills the house with an aroma.
Honored guests had their feet washed...but with just ordinary water.  Probably many were taken aback...it seemed so forward, out of the blue, so "what is she doing?"...but not to Jesus.
"She is doing this in preparation for my burial."
It is a prophetic act...
It is an act of worship...
It is an anointing of love...

Peace

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