IN MEMORY OF HER

“And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”

There are two things in Mark’s gospel story of this event that strike me: one, the generosity and love of Mary as she gave the costly gift, and two, the generosity and love of the Lord as he received the costly gift. The Lord’s part was the more difficult because receiving is more difficult than giving, especially around his religious hearted whiney-butt disciples.

I want to be a part of memorializing this woman. Mary, the sister of Martha and her brother Lazarus.

“Wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.” Jesus