LET HER KEEP WHAT SHE HAS FOR MY BURIAL

7 JOHN 12:1-8

Six days before the Passover, Jesus went to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, the man he had raised from death. They prepared a dinner for him there, which 2 Martha helped to serve; Lazarus was one of those who were sitting at the table with Jesus. Then Mary took half a litre of a very expensive perfume made of pure nard, poured it one Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair.  The sweet smell of the perfume filled the whole house. One of Jesus’ disciples, Judas Iscariot – the one who was going to betray him – said, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred silver coins and the money given to the poor?” He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief.  He carried the money bag and would help himself from it. (Lk. 10:38-42)

 

But Jesus said, “Leave her alone! Let her keep what she has for the day of my burial. You will always have poor people with you, but you will not always have me.” (Jn. 20:1-2, Matt. 28:1-8, Lk. 24:1-12)

The highlights are beamed on the two sister’s virtues and characters: service and hospitality, listening and adoration. Mary also fulfilled Christ prediction of anointing him for his burial. The interesting character Judas, despite the Master, and his fellow disciples knew his character, they tolerated him.

The Master was not angry knowing who he was, and what he was capable of (evil). Jesus called him devil.  What a drama and different actors: The good and the evil. Lord you know everything. In your patience you were cool, gentle and loving to all.

Lord Jesus Christ my Lord and Master, you know me through and through. Make my heart like unto yours. Help me to hate the evil in our world, not your creatures’ who execute evil. I know I too I am not perfect for this reason, you came to save us. Deliver us from the evil one. May your sacrifice to redeem the world never be in vain? Deliver me LORD from the wicked.

THE PLOT AGAINST JESUS JOHN 11:45-57

Many of the people who had come to visit Mary saw what Jesus did and they believed in him. But some of them returned to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.  So the Pharisees and the chief priests met with the Council and said, “What shall we do? Look at all the miracles this man is performing! If we let him go on in this way, everyone will believe in him, and the Roman authorities will take action and destroy our Temple and our nation.”              

One of them, named Caiaphas, who was High Priest that year, said, “What fools you are! Don’t you realize that it is better for you to let one man die for the people, instead of having the whole nation destroyed?” Actually, he did not say this of his own accord; rather, as he was High Priest that year, he was prophesying that Jesus was going to die for the Jewish people, and not only for them, but also to bring together into one body all the scattered people of God.

 

From that day on the Jewish authorities made plan to kill Jesus.  So Jesus did not travel openly in Judea, but left and went to a place near the desert, to a town named Ephraim, where he stayed with the disciples.

The time for the Passover Festival was near, and many people went up from the country to Jerusalem to perform the ritual of purification before the festival.  They were looking for Jesus, and as they gathered in the Temple, they asked one another, “What do you think?” Surely he will not come to the festival, will he? The chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where Jesus was, he must report it, so that they could arrest him.