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39. The
Anointing in Bethany.
Six days before
Easter, Jesus returned to Bethany to go from there to Jerusalem for the
Easter feast. On the way he prepared his disciples once more for his
fate. His heart was filled with thoughts of death, for he knew
everything that would happen to him this time in Jerusalem. “Behold,” he
said, ”we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed
over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to
death. They will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked, scourged
and crucified. But on the third day he will rise again.” He repeated
these things to his friends as preparation and comfort. But they did not
understand. Their hearts could not grasp the sad and joyful meaning of
these words.
But what a dear, welcome guest he was when he came back to Bethany to
his comforted friends! Nor did they know that he was only staying with
them on the way to his death. A friend named Simon asked him to join him
for a meal. Lazarus, whom he had raised from death, sat at the table
with him. The busy Martha was waiting. But the quiet Mary came to Jesus
during the meal with a jar full of delicious spikenard. For in the East
it was a good custom, when one wished to show a special honor to a
valued guest, to moisten his head with precious, fragrant ointments or
oils. Mary's pious, tender mind wanted to do the Lord deep honor.
Because this time Jesus would not be entertained in her own home, she
wanted to show him her unspeakable love and gratitude in Simon's house.
She opened the jar and moistened Jesus' head and even his feet with the
delicious, fragrant balm it contained and humbly dried them again with
her hair. Jesus received this act of honor with kind pleasure. It came
from a pious heart that was completely filled and moved by gratitude,
love and humility. But how unequal are the minds of men! How can even
the noblest mind be misjudged and reproached! One of the disciples,
Judas Iscariot, a dark fellow, said: “Could not this ointment have been
sold for three hundred pence and the money distributed among the poor?”
He was not concerned for the poor, but for himself, for he received the
money for the common expenses and for alms into his administration and
was a thief. But some of the other disciples, who were so good-natured,
were also misled by his words and said the same things as he did.
How these words must have hurt poor Mary! But Jesus took care of her and
comforted her with his applause. When men do not understand his good
intentions, the heavenly One comforts the honest man with his applause.
“Let her be content,” said Jesus; ”why are you troubling her? She has
done a good work for me. You always have the poor around you, and if you
wish, you can do them good. But you do not always have me.” Yes, he gave
her action a beautiful, touching meaning, that Mary had already
consecrated him to his burial by this anointing, because in those days
it was customary to anoint the dead before their burial. “Truly,” he
said, ”I tell you: Wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world,
what she has done will also be said in remembrance of her.”
So now it is written here that it will be read in remembrance of her.
Many pious words, works and tears of gratitude and love have already
emerged from many a moved heart, of which no one knows anything anymore,
although they are not forgotten in heaven. But what the pious sister of
Lazarus did in the house of Simon remains unforgotten, even on earth, as
Jesus said. Wherever the gospel is proclaimed throughout the world, what
she did is also said in her memory, and her pious, tender spirit is
rejoiced in to this hour.
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