The power of love

Six days before the Passover, Jesus went to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, the man he had raised from death. They gave a dinner for him there, which 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 on Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The sweet smell of the perfume filled the whole house.      (verses 1-3)

Read John 12:1-8

Love can make people do the strangest things: it can make a ‘practical’ man start writing poetry; it can make a ‘sensible’ woman dance with joy; it can turn a hard-hearted person into someone who is caring and kind.

In this story Mary does something extraordinary. She takes an excessive amount of expensive perfume and freely pours it out onto Jesus’ feet. Then she wipes his feet, not with a towel or cloth, but with her own hair. This is hardly the action of a woman concerned about the state of her bank balance or about her need to be socially acceptable. But it is the action of a woman who loves deeply.

What Mary did may have seemed wasteful to some, but not to Jesus. He knew that what she did was from the heart and full of love.

God’s love for you is extraordinary and mysterious. He loves you so much that he gives you everything, even his own Son, so that you can live in his care. There is no waste in God’s gifts to you: his gift of Jesus is from the heart and full of love.

Lord, thank you for loving me. Let me love you with all my heart and soul and mind. Amen.

by Fraser Pearce, in ‘Renewed Hope for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 2000)

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