Mary Anoints Jesus

12Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.²There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him.³Mary 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.⁴But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said,⁵‘Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii^* and the money given to the poor?’⁶(He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.)⁷Jesus said, ‘Leave her alone. She bought it^* so that she might keep it for the day of my burial.⁸You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.’

The Plot to Kill Lazarus

9 When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.¹⁰So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well

The Hebrew Maschiach (Messiah) means “anointed one”, referring to the coronation of a king. The long-expected Messiah would be anointed as descendant of King David to establish God’s rule in Israel; and perhaps also as the prophet described in Isaiah chapter 60, “The spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring good news..”

Here John gives a picture of anointing of Jesus which carries ironic overtones in view of the Messianic tradition. For here, Jesus is anointed by Mary with his death in mind. The true anointing of Jesus as Messiah will be his crucifixion. That apparent contradiction is the irony around which John has structured his gospel story. Jesus states it early in the narrative, “If I am lifted up, I will draw all people to me.” There is a double irony here because while Jesus’ enemies (and even some of his friends) saw the cross as simply humiliating, John sees it as Jesus’ ascension to the Father. This Messiah in anointed with the oil of suffering through which he returns to the Godhead.

For John, Jesus’ giving up his earthly life is an act of grace, that is, it goes beyond what anyone could demand or expect. Nobody could deserve a love like this, it is pure gift, pure gravy, as we say in Scotland. In the story this is shown reflected in the act of grace by which Mary responds to the love of Jesus. It is this excess of love which angers Judas, who thinks it’s wasteful. Jesus has established a climate of grace where people can give and receive without limit; where the question of duty need not be raised because it has been overtaken by a pervasive generosity. In the story this climate of grace is represented by the perfume which fills the whole house.

I’ve been fortunate enough to know some people like that in my lifetime, people in whose presence it was impossible to be mean. I believe that wherever this grace occurs, its source is God. Perhaps the theological and liturgical uses of the word have removed it from the context in which it first came to be used, that of joyful kindness between people. And of course, as Judas should have known it does not exclude justice to the poor, but includes it in a glad sharing that goes beyond mere duty. All the major British Aid agencies made a united appeal yesterday for the victims of the Syrian civil war. I was pleased to be reminded of my duty but also glad to part of a community  in which need can be recognised and met. I hope many people will respond to the appeal, justly and graciously.

Sydney Carter’s song beautifully expresses the meaning of this story 

“The poor of the world are my body,” he said..

1 Said Judas to Mary, “Now what will you do
with your ointment so rich and so rare?”

“I’ll pour it all over the feet of the Lord
and I’ll wipe it away with my hair,” she said,
“and wipe it away with my hair.”

2 “Oh Mary, Oh Mary, oh think of the poor —
this ointment, it could have been sold,
and think of the blankets and think of the bread

you could buy with the silver and gold,” he said,
“you could buy with the silver and gold.”

3 “Tomorrow, tomorrow I’ll think of the poor
Tomorrow,” she said, “not today;
for dearer than all of the poor in the world
is my love who is going away,” she said,
“my love who is going away.”

4 Said Jesus to Mary, “Your love is so deep
today you may do as you will.
Tomorrow you say I am going away,
but my body I leave with you still,” he said,
“my body I leave with you still.”

5 “The poor of the world are my body,’ he said,
“to the end of the world they shall be,
the bread and the blankets you give to the poor
you’ll know you have given to me,” he said,
“you’ll know you have given to me.”

6 “My body will hang on the cross of the world
tomorrow,” he said, “not today,
and Martha and Mary will find me again
and wash all the sorrow away,” he said,
“wash all the sorrow away.”