Reflection on The Gospel of John 12:1-8 Fifth Sunday of Lent April 6, 2025

The Gospel of John 12:1-8
Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary 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. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” (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.) Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”
Let us Pray: Loving God, how lavishly you pour out
the costly gift of your grace upon us.
Fill our homes and our lives with the fragrance of your love,
so that we may show your glory and serve your people.
through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.
Note: Nard, also called spikenard, nardin, and muskroot, is a flowering plant of the Valerian family that grows in the Himalayas, and it is very expensive, and Mary used a whole pound of this pure perfume to anoint Jesus’ feet. This much nard is worth about three hundred denarii which is equal to about a year’s wages. A farm worker at that time received one denarius for 12 hours work.
Giving freely without any strings, that is what Mary did. She gave in love and freely. She gave because she needed to give. She needed to feel the sense of what she felt in her heart. This gospel has several aspects, one that stands out to me is about sharing love without constraints. Doing something for another not expecting anything in return. When we see a person in need do we ignore that person or do we offer to help. We know that there is nothing material a person in need is going to be able to give back to you, but that simple act can have such benefits as we sense that Mary received using the perfume on Jesus’ feet. The image of Mary, the friend of Jesus, bowing at his feet and using her precious hair to catch the excess oil so that all it might serve her master, is an incredibly moving image of humble, extravagant, and authentic worship. That is the image that John wanted to highlight because it supported the theme that he was developing in his Gospel. His theme, how could we not fall before our Savior with a spirit of humility considering all that he has done for us? Mary helps us to recognize who Jesus is, and who we are called to be as his faithful followers.
John emphasized the anointing of Jesus’ feet to accentuate the loyalty and trust she had for Jesus. The image of Mary, the friend of Jesus, bowing at his feet and using her precious hair to catch the excess oil so that all it might serve her master, is an incredibly moving image of humble, extravagant, and authentic worship. That is the image that John wanted to highlight because it supported the theme that he was developing in his Gospel. His theme, how could we not fall before our Savior with a spirit of humility considering all that he has done for us? Mary helps us to recognize who Jesus is, and who we are called to be as his faithful followers.
Then on the other side we have Judas, we all have our perspective of who Judas is, so we can surmise that he had less than honorable use for the money that the nard could of fetched. As long as there are Judases among us, there will be poor, since the thievery of the former leads to the certainty of the latter. Far from a claim that the problem of the poor cannot be solved, John makes it plain that the existence of the poor is far from necessary in a society where selfishness does not rule our behaviors.
To follow Jesus means more than just acting the part.
Let us Pray: O Lord, deliver us from contending that we are righteous before You because of who we are and what we have done. Surely, we are sinners who only deserve Your wrath. Cause us to turn from our worthlessness and hold fast to the surpassing worth of Christ Jesus and His righteousness for us. This we pray in your name our Lord and Savior. Amen