Lent day 22: pour

Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. ²There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. ³Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. ⁴But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, ⁵“Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” ⁶(He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) ⁷Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. ⁸You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.” ⁹When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. ¹⁰So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, ¹¹since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus.  

We are back at Mary and Martha's house.  Again, a place of refuge for Jesus.  His dearest friends open their home to him and to his friends and supporters.  A last stop, just a short trip to Jerusalem and all that lies ahead.  But now, Jesus stops for some much needed care.  And he is received by Martha and Mary.  Martha cooked and served.  Mary greeted and anointed.  She recognized Jesus for all that he was and his -- the anointed one and the one who was facing his death.  Mary, Martha and Lazarus' house sits in Bethany -- looking back towards Galilee even while facing Jerusalem. And, Martha and Mary know how to create this way-station of hospitality and welcome and comfort and care.  And Lazarus too.  A best friend to just be there and be present with Jesus.  A friend who had traveled through death and returned and whose story and very presence frightened others.  Here they were.  And once again, Mary gets it.  She knows who Jesus is and holds nothing back, cracking open a wildly-expensive jar of oil.  With this beautiful offering she acknowledges who Jesus is and his inevitable complete and total offering of himself.  

Radical hospitality  . . . meeting someone exactly where they are, and understanding where they are going and walking with them along the way, preparing and supporting as much as possible.  Mary knew Martha was attending to the cooking and serving.  She knew Lazarus was there to be the ever-present friend.  She had been the one at Jesus' feet listening, learning, following.  She offered up herself, all she had, making sure Jesus knew that someone got it -- understood him -- who he was and where he was going.  And she did. And we do, we need to anyway.  Open up our hearts and offer the most precious things we have to Jesus.  Our kids.  Our time.  Our focus and presence.  Teaching our kids all Jesus taught and did in Galilee.  Healing, and sharing God's love, and shaking up people's ideas about who is "in" and who isn't.  I mean really teaching them -- instead of playing in that soccer league.  I mean really spending the time.  Spending as much time in prayer as we do -- what, online?  And, looking towards Jerusalem and the cross.  To open ourselves up fully and give of ourselves.  all of our being, every strand of hair committed to Him.  Cracking open the most precious we have.  What will we pour out today?