Today’s scripture reading is John 12:1-19.
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. -John 12:3 NRSV
It was customary in Jesus’ day that when an honored guest visited your home, you would anoint that guest with oil. Your honored guest may have traveled a great distance to see you in the scorching heat. There was no such thing as Right Guard or Ban Roll-On in those days. You probably get the idea: you want not only to enjoy seeing your guest but also to enjoy (or at least not be repulsed by) smelling your guest.
Typically, anointing someone involved dabbing a little bit of perfume on his or her body. John, however, seems to think that Mary went from dabbing to dousing when it came to Jesus. It appears as if she used the entire bottle, sixteen ounces in all, on Jesus’ feet (in the gospel of Mark, we are told that she shatters the bottle to anoint him). She went all in and all out, didn’t she?
Mary’s passion for Jesus was breaking a bottle of perfume and pouring it out for Jesus. Jesus’ passion for you was breaking his body on the cross. Mary’s passion was realizing that Jesus was of such supreme value that she poured out her perfume. Jesus’ passion was realizing that you are of such supreme value that he poured out his blood.
What keeps you from going all in and all out for Jesus? What keeps you from offering Jesus your very best? How might you exhibit the passion that Mary exhibited in her generous actions?
May the passionate love of Jesus prompt you to live and love passionately today.
