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| "Cloud spread over Qadisha Valley" by Oliver OJeil North of Mount Lebanon |
The Way of the Soul - Eighth Day of Nine
Jesus Encounters Mary of Bethany and Judas
Jesus Encounters Mary of Bethany and Judas
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A Greeting
I will rejoice forever;
I will rejoice forever;
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
(Psalm 75:9)
A Small Verse
You always have the poor with you,
but you do not always have me.
(John 12:8)
Reading
Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. 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. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, ‘Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?’ (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.) Jesus said, ‘Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.’
(John 12:1-8)
(Psalm 75:9)
A Small Verse
You always have the poor with you,
but you do not always have me.
(John 12:8)
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| Uncredited image of Our Lady of Lebanon statue and cathedral at Harissa, Lebanon (image source: Tripadvisor) |
Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. 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. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, ‘Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?’ (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.) Jesus said, ‘Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.’
(John 12:1-8)
Music
A Meditative Verse
Strengthen me according to your word.
(Psalm 119:28b)
(Psalm 119:28b)
A Reflection
In first century Jewish culture, society dictated that when you entered someone's home, appropriate hospitality looked like having your feet and hands washed from water in a basin, offered round by your host. This was a very practical solution to cleanse people's feet of the grime of miles walked across Middle Eastern soil as well as being an important social and religious ritual.
It is noted in socio-historical accounts of the time that the washing of guest's feet would always precede the grace. After these rites had passed, the guest could eat. On this occasion, the appropriate social rites have passed and Jesus and the other guests are reclining, meaning they've finished their meal. All of a sudden, Mary comes into the living room and moves straight for Jesus, carrying an incredibly expensive jar of perfume, worth over a year's wages. Without warning or discussion, Mary kneels at Jesus' feet and begins to wash them with the costly perfume, drying his feet with her own hair. Mary is so overcome with extravagant, passionate love for Jesus that she literally pours her all at his feet to demonstrate her worship and love for him and the smell of perfume, the scent of her devotion, fills the house...
I think we can make the Christian faith and even worship such a dogmatic thing, such a sensible thing even. But when we look at the gospels and we look at the effect that Jesus had on people's lives when he met them, it's so much about passion, about love, about meeting Jesus and instantly feeling such a desperate desire to to give it all to him. We see this time and time again as Jesus meets people along the road...
What if we in our churches move so automatically into what is expected and well received in worship that we get distracted anointing Jesus with water and never offer him anything more than that? What if we are so busy toweling his feet with a cloth that we miss out on the intimacy of drying his feet with our hair. Mary's act of worship is called a beautiful thing and it blesses the heart of the one she loves. The washing with water is so good, but the scandalous outpouring of costly perfume is so much better and it changes everything.
As we look to Mary's example, are we content to wash with water? or are we bold enough to drench with perfume?
It is noted in socio-historical accounts of the time that the washing of guest's feet would always precede the grace. After these rites had passed, the guest could eat. On this occasion, the appropriate social rites have passed and Jesus and the other guests are reclining, meaning they've finished their meal. All of a sudden, Mary comes into the living room and moves straight for Jesus, carrying an incredibly expensive jar of perfume, worth over a year's wages. Without warning or discussion, Mary kneels at Jesus' feet and begins to wash them with the costly perfume, drying his feet with her own hair. Mary is so overcome with extravagant, passionate love for Jesus that she literally pours her all at his feet to demonstrate her worship and love for him and the smell of perfume, the scent of her devotion, fills the house...
I think we can make the Christian faith and even worship such a dogmatic thing, such a sensible thing even. But when we look at the gospels and we look at the effect that Jesus had on people's lives when he met them, it's so much about passion, about love, about meeting Jesus and instantly feeling such a desperate desire to to give it all to him. We see this time and time again as Jesus meets people along the road...
What if we in our churches move so automatically into what is expected and well received in worship that we get distracted anointing Jesus with water and never offer him anything more than that? What if we are so busy toweling his feet with a cloth that we miss out on the intimacy of drying his feet with our hair. Mary's act of worship is called a beautiful thing and it blesses the heart of the one she loves. The washing with water is so good, but the scandalous outpouring of costly perfume is so much better and it changes everything.
As we look to Mary's example, are we content to wash with water? or are we bold enough to drench with perfume?
- from a transcription of Episode 16 by Hannah McVeigh of "Anagnorisis",
the 24-7 Prayer video podcast series for Lent, 2014.
the 24-7 Prayer video podcast series for Lent, 2014.
Verse for the Day
The glory of Lebanon shall come to you, the cypress, the plane,
and the pine, to beautify the place of my sanctuary;
and I will glorify where my feet rest.
and the pine, to beautify the place of my sanctuary;
and I will glorify where my feet rest.
(Isaiah 60:13)
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| "South Lebanon 1" by tonyelieh. Photographer's note: "From this place we can see the Lebanese Border with Israel" |
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The final nation a pilgrim must pass through before entering Israel, is Lebanon.
A complex country made up of 18 different religious communities, its predominating cultures are Maronite Christianity and Islam.
In the biblical story, the cedar forests of Lebanon have provided the most precious wood for the temples of Jerusalem, as in 2 Chronicles 2:8 when Solomon commands, "Send me also cedar, cypress, and algum timber from Lebanon, for I know that your servants are skilled in cutting Lebanon timber. My servants will work with your servants to prepare timber for me in abundance, for the house I am about to build will be great and wonderful." (v.8-9) (Nearly every biblical reference to Lebanon in Scripture is a reference to its woodlands.) Today as a result of long years of war and strife in the larger region, more than 100,000 Palestinian refugees live in camps in Lebanon, while waiting for a time when they can return to Palestine.
The pilgrimage town of Harissa is home to a shrine to Mary, Mother of Jesus, with a statue that weighs fifteen tons and is 650 metres above sea level. Its presence is now dwarfed by a glass Maronite cathedral, adjacent. Nowadays, pilgrims ride a cable car up the promontory from the city, to visit the shrine and cathedral.
Mony and Alberto experience a special kind of 'homecoming' in Lebanon as they arrive at the country of Mony's ancestral heritage. Follow this link and use their navigational arrows to read about their journey.
A complex country made up of 18 different religious communities, its predominating cultures are Maronite Christianity and Islam.
In the biblical story, the cedar forests of Lebanon have provided the most precious wood for the temples of Jerusalem, as in 2 Chronicles 2:8 when Solomon commands, "Send me also cedar, cypress, and algum timber from Lebanon, for I know that your servants are skilled in cutting Lebanon timber. My servants will work with your servants to prepare timber for me in abundance, for the house I am about to build will be great and wonderful." (v.8-9) (Nearly every biblical reference to Lebanon in Scripture is a reference to its woodlands.) Today as a result of long years of war and strife in the larger region, more than 100,000 Palestinian refugees live in camps in Lebanon, while waiting for a time when they can return to Palestine.
The pilgrimage town of Harissa is home to a shrine to Mary, Mother of Jesus, with a statue that weighs fifteen tons and is 650 metres above sea level. Its presence is now dwarfed by a glass Maronite cathedral, adjacent. Nowadays, pilgrims ride a cable car up the promontory from the city, to visit the shrine and cathedral.
Mony and Alberto experience a special kind of 'homecoming' in Lebanon as they arrive at the country of Mony's ancestral heritage. Follow this link and use their navigational arrows to read about their journey.
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| Map showing location (green box) of The Way of the Soul as it passes through Harissa, Lebanon. The map image comes from the extensive interactive website of Mony Dojeije and Alberto Agraso, who walked the route in 2001-3 |
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LC† On the Way with Jesus in Lent is a project of Lutherans Connect/Lutheran Campus Ministry Toronto. Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
