I got hung up on this story in John 12 where Jesus stops off on His way to Jerusalem, in a town called Bethany. You see, there in Bethany, live some of Jesus’ closest friends;Lazarus, Martha and Mary. Most everyone in the story thinks this is kind of a routine trip until Mary breaks out this very expensive (one years wages) perfume and starts poring it all over Jesus feet.

I think a lot of us have heard or remember the story. But what strikes me is that of all the people around Jesus…apostles, disciples and such, the only one that really gets what is going on is Mary. She somehow knew that Jesus was going to Jerusalem and was going to be killed there. Nobody else figured that out?

After pondering on that story for a couple of weeks now…here are two things that are becoming clear to me:

*Mary was close enough to Jesus, so much so, that she felt the pain and anguish that He was feeling. Her spirit picked up on what was going on in His.

*When she realized that He was going to die for her…there was NOTHING that was expensive enough to love him back in the measure that he was loving her.

This is an emotional week for the people that really believe that they are Christian…

Related posts:

1. Nicene Creed…what do you believe?
2. my favorite heretic
3. Comfortably Numb
4. The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns
5. CONFESSION…what is it good for?