When he was at table with them, he took the bread. He blessed the bread, and broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized him!(Luke 24:13-35)

Sunday, April 10, 2022

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus..." [Hebrews 12:2]


 I was looking at a Facebook profile for one of my ‘friends’ recently, and under ‘Relationship Status’, he had written ‘It’s complicated’.  I chuckled at the memory today when I started to read the 12th chapter of John’s Gospel [John 12:1-11] to start my Holy Week reflections.

In this part of the Gospel, Jesus is at the home of His friends, Lazarus, Martha, and Mary.  He certainly has had a complicated relationship with them recently.  Lazarus died and the sisters questioned Jesus regarding His whereabouts.  Then Jesus, filled with deep feelings, called Lazarus forth from the tomb:  "Unbind him and set him free." [John 11:1-44].   And now these four are dining together.  I would have loved to be in on that dinner conversation!

Moreover, Mary decides to pull out this lavish gift, this liter of aromatic nard.  She kneels at Jesus' feet and anoints His feet with oil and dries them with her hair.  And the fragrance of the ointment fills the room!  I can almost smell it, just thinking about it!

I notice that she's not weeping, not repenting, she's just offering Jesus a dear and kindly gift.  And the marvel is that He accepts it (much to the consternation of Judas).  Let’s linger here a moment and attend to the care and love that she pours out on Jesus' feet, a mere six days before the Passover.

I wonder.  Could it be that Mary 'instructed' the Lord?  Could it be that she demonstrates a love and devotion that touched Jesus' heart in a special way?  It's amazing that, just a few days later, Jesus mirrors this same action.  He kneels at the feet of His disciples and washes their feet [John 13:1-20]!  Could it be that the loving friendship He found in Mary's gesture offered an example for Him to demonstrate His loving friendship for the disciples?

There’s a particularly marvelous prayer that I found in my missal for Lent that I think can help us fix our eyes on Jesus this week.  It says, "As we recall the great events that gave us new life in Christ, you bring the image of your Son to perfection (‘fullness’ or ‘completion’) within us." 

What I take away from this Gospel is that maybe we learn some important things in life by receiving, not just by doing.  And maybe the true things in life, like love and friendship, discipleship, are learned first by receiving.  Let’s recall the great events that gave us new life in Christ and find that image of Jesus more complete in our lives.  The Lord has done great things for us [Psalm 126]!

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