Monday in Holy Week

The gospel reading set for today is John 12: 1 -11

12 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. ⁴ But 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.) ⁷ Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. ⁸ You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”

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. ¹⁰ So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, ¹¹ since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus.

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I share with you a poem I wrote as I reflected on this passage.

 

Mary Knew

 

Mary knew.

She knew death was near

And it silenced her words.

 

The disciples gathered around the table that night

Would not let Jesus speak again of his impending death

They would

With hands and swords and words and strength

Protect him.

They would not allow such a fate to happen

To their beloved teacher.

 

But Mary knew.

She knew death was near

And it silenced her words.

 

The scholars argue

Tears or nard

It is unlikely to have happened

The writers needed a symbolic gesture

To acknowledge Jesus’s rule, kingship

To set the scene.

 

But Mary knew.

She knew death was near

And it silenced her words.

 

Not her heart.

Not in argument or denial.

 

And so she took perfume,

Or cried tears

Or reached out her hand

Or glanced knowingly and deeply into the teacher’s eyes

 

She let down her hair

She knelt

She anointed.

 

She knew death was near.

And she let Jesus know her knowing

Her painful acceptance

Her broken heart

Her love.

 

And God was comforted

On the eve of his own death.

God was held by frail, broken humanity.

Comforted by tears and costly perfume filling the house.

God was known

By a human heart held in hope

Weak in faith

Fierce with love.

 

Mary knew

That death was near

And it silenced her words

Broke her heart

And comforted her God.