A Feast, A Girl, and A Gift

We join Jesus tonight at a feast... a feast at Lazarus' home. This is the Lazarus that just last week was dead. Buried. For three days dead and buried. According to Ancient Near East understanding, after three days the soul was now gone and there was no hope for the person returning to this world. Yet, after three days in that tomb, Jesus called Lazarus to return to life... to return to Life Himself. No wonder Lazarus and his sisters were throwing a "thanksgiving feast" for Jesus (John 12:1-11).

Whenever I read this story about this feast at Lazarus' home my heart has a hard time taking in all that's going on. I mean really... what would you be thinking and feeling if you were Lazarus ... dead but now alive ... living and breathing and hugging his sisters and his friends ... and Jesus. And, what about Mary and Martha ... such joy that must fill their hearts with tears and laughter and gratitude and joy ... pure joy that wells up and spills over when they see Jesus. Of course, the disciples are there ... this isn't the first time they've seen Jesus raise someone to life, but it is the first for someone who had been dead three days. The miracles they have seen first-hand ... what their eyes have seen and their ears have heard and their hands handled! After being witnesses to all of this and yesterday's parade into Jerusalem, the crowds hailing Jesus as King! What expectations must be building within their hearts ... building up to bursting ... as they anticipate this week? And then, it happens.

The room fills with the most beautiful aroma ... of love and humility, of devotion and grief, of compassion ... for Jesus. Gradually the room becomes silent ... all eyes turn to see Mary anointing Jesus' feet with pure nard from an alabaster jar. What is she doing? With that question the room also fills with the aroma of unease and embarrassment, of misunderstanding and judgment, of greed and scorn.

This is when I ask myself ... who am I going to be? Am I brave enough to be like Mary ... giving a most costly gift and pouring it out for Jesus, pouring myself out for Jesus? Or, will I be like one of the others? The good thing is that I have a choice ... I can choose who I am going to be. I may have to make that choice again and again, but with practice I will become who I choose to be ... on this journey.

What about you?