SCRIPTURE JOHN 12:1-8
the anointing at Bethany
Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served, while Lazarus was reclining at table with him.
Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.
Then Judas the Iscariot, one [of] his disciples, and the one who would betray him, said, “Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days’ wages and given to the poor?”
He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief and held the money bag and used to steal the contributions.
Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Let her keep this for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”
REFLECTION
Is Jesus putting down poor people? Is Jesus dismissive of the poor?
Of course not! Looking at his disciples Jesus said: ‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God’” Luke 6:20.
“when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous” Luke 14:13-14.
Jesus knew the heart of Judas, a man not so interested in caring for others but what he could gather for himself. Are we selfish in similar ways? Are our motives for charitable acts always pure or do we sometimes look to call attention to ourselves?
SCRIPTURE JOHN 12:23-33; 44-50
the coming of Jesus’ hour.
Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies,
it remains just a grain of wheat but if it dies, it produces much fruit.
Jesus responded: “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat but if it dies, it produces much fruit…
Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life.
Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.
Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me.t
Now is the time of judgment on this world; now the ruler of this world* will be driven out. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.”
Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me believes not only in me but also in the one who sent me, and whoever sees me sees the one who sent me.
Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words has something to judge him: the word that I spoke, it will condemn him on the last day, because I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak.
REFLECTION
God’s ways are not our ways. Who back then or now for that matter thinks death by crucifixion is a moment to celebrate?
It is at our own peril to second guess God.
Jesus defines clearly what a disciple of his must be. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be.
Can we drink the cup Jesus must drink? Do we serve in this world as Jesus did?
Even Jesus in his humanity had trouble accepting His Father’s will,
Father, save me from this hour. John 12:27
Just like us Jesus doesn’t enjoy suffering but suffering may be necessary to fulfill the Father’s will. Trust in God!
God knows the full picture and if God can bring glory out of the greatest suffering, the passion and death of His only begotten Son, what is the good God will bring out of our small suffering here on this earth.
I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world. Jesus did not come to condemn but save! We are free to embrace Jesus or not, again at our own peril!
when I am lifted up from the earth,
I will draw everyone to myself.