Mary of Bethany is back. In John 12:1-11, Jesus is about to head into Jerusalem. Passover is only a week away and He stops to visit with some of His closest friends. The amazing miracle of bringing Lazarus back to life is still fresh for this family. I mean, could it ever really be forgotten? Mary and Martha must look at their beloved brother every day and praise God for this gift.
When Jesus comes to town, their home is opened, guests are invited, and of course, Martha serves. I love how it doesn’t mention any hard feelings on her part. Just simply, “Martha served.” I would love to believe that she has learned so much.
That the Lord’s words and the miraculous display have changed her soul and allowed her to serve with grace and an unselfish heart. Mingling a little Mary into her Martha.
And Mary. Here she is too. This Lent is almost over and it’s been a journey for me to Rediscover her inside myself. Through the Scriptures, writing these reflections, and many books, podcasts, and discussions, this Lent has been a time of finding, within my heart, the better part that Christ calls us to choose.
Am I there? Not completely, but I think I am a few steps closer. I am not looking to finish the journey right away. But, I am looking forward to traveling this road with Christ. Slow and steady. One day at a time.
And today, I’m reading what Mary did for her Lord. She took the liter of costly perfumed oil and anointed the feet of Jesus. She then dried them with her hair. What an intimate thing to do. Again, she is at His feet, but not passively listening. She is actively showing Him love and honor. She is offering Him a gift that comes at great cost in money and humility.
What do I learn in this act of hers? What does it mean for me?
Don’t count the cost when I know what He needs from me. Yikes! Maybe the cost is high. I mean, sacrificing something I love? Something that is precious to me? Something that I don’t want to give up? How? Honestly, if it was just something expensive, I’d probably offer it up fairly easily. But, I’m imagining the things God calls me to give to Him.
My children.
My dreams.
My marriage.
My plans.
My SELF.
He wants me to lay those at His feet. That is an intimate act. That means getting close to Him. Trusting Him.
So, I keep saying to myself. One day at a time. Little by little. I’ll sit at your feet. I’ll give you my most costly belongings, since they all come from You anyway Lord.
And then I’ll notice once again the rest of that passage. “The house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.”
That means that no one in the house could escape the gift either. It flowed out from Jesus and Mary and blessed everyone around. No one was immune to the fragrance of Christ at that moment, thanks to the humble gift of self from Mary of Bethany.
Does the intimate gift of myself, laid at His feet, send an aroma out to everyone around me? Can that be true for me as well?
Well, according to Scripture, yes.
Check this out. 2 Corinthians 2:14-16: “But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumph, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.”
How we live does matter. If we are seeking Truth, that fragrance will lead to life. But, if we are as Judas, it leads to death. Judas can not understand why this oil is “wasted” when it could have been sold. He does not see, even though he has been present this whole time. How sad to think he is blinded by his own will and unable to allow the Spirit of God, diffused around him, to enter in and change his heart. And what a reminder to me, to keep my eyes on Jesus.
Ephesians 5:1-2 “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
I want to close with this beautiful prayer put to song. I know that I want this prayer to be reflected in my life.
Dear Jesus, help me to spread Your fragrance everywhere I go.
Flood my soul with Your spirit and life.
Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly,
That my life may only be a radiance of Yours.
Flood my soul with Your spirit and life.
Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly,
That my life may only be a radiance of Yours.
Shine through me, and be so in me
That every soul I come in contact with
May feel Your presence in my soul.
Let them look up and see no longer me, but only Jesus!
That every soul I come in contact with
May feel Your presence in my soul.
Let them look up and see no longer me, but only Jesus!
Stay with me and then I shall begin to shine as You shine,
So to shine as to be a light to others;
The light, O Jesus will be all from You; none of it will be mine;
It will be you, shining on others through me.
So to shine as to be a light to others;
The light, O Jesus will be all from You; none of it will be mine;
It will be you, shining on others through me.
Let me thus praise You the way You love best, by shining on those around me.
Let me preach You without preaching, not by words but by my example,
By the catching force of the sympathetic influence of what I do,
The evident fullness of the love my heart bears to You.
Let me preach You without preaching, not by words but by my example,
By the catching force of the sympathetic influence of what I do,
The evident fullness of the love my heart bears to You.
Amen.
-John Henry Cardinal Newman
Happy Holy Week!
XOXO,
Barb
Reflections of a Cute Lil Mom 