Mary of Bethany shows her love for Jesus
(From the Gospel of John, chapter 12, verses 1-8)
Six days before Passover, Jesus and his disciples went to a village called Bethany. There they stayed with Jesus' close friends Lazarus, Martha, and Mary. Lazarus was a single man who lived with his two adult sisters. The three of them hosted a dinner for Jesus. Lazarus sat with the men at the table while Martha served food.
Before the meal got started, Mary came to Jesus. She knelt before him and began to wash his feet. After they were clean, she put perfume on his feet and wiped them with her hair. The entire house soon was filled with the smell of the perfume.
Mary's actions made all the men feel uncomfortable. It was not normal in those days for women to come into a room where men were eating, unless she was serving them. A woman was not allowed to show her hair to a man who was not her husband, or to touch a man to whom she was not married. Judas, the disciple who would later betray Jesus, finally spoke up. "Jesus, tell her to stop." Then, because he was the disciple who took care of the group's money, he added, "Besides, instead of buying this perfume, Mary should have given her money to poor people who need it. What she is doing is a waste of good money."
Jesus said, "Leave her alone. She bought this perfume to use on the day of my burial." (In Jesus' day, after someone died, the body would be washed in perfume and wrapped in cloths before being buried or put in a tomb.)
Jesus continued, looking at all around the table. "You will always have the poor with you. But you will not always have me with you."
Questions to think and pray about:
Have you ever been in a situation where you felt uncomfortable?
Why do you think Mary did what she did?
Why did Jesus say, "You will not always have me with you"? What was he talking about?
Do think that what Mary did was right? Do you think Judas' point was a good one? Why or why not?
What do you imagine the men talked about during dinner?