extravagant love

Good morning church,
Yesterday we began Holy Week with Palm Sunday and Jesus's triumphant entry into Jerusalem. During Holy week there's a lot going on at church (check the website for the schedule of events; everyone is welcome and encouraged to join in all of our worship opportunities). In our daily readings during Holy Week we'll be taking a break from Acts to follow Jesus during this intense period. As you'll notice, we'll have a couple of different Gospels represented, so the order of events won't necessarily fit together, but spending time with Jesus in his last week will bring us deeper into the story.

In this morning's reading Jesus goes to eat with Mary, Martha and Lazarus, whom he has recently raised from the dead (Chapter 11). We see that this miracle brings many people to Jesus and also brings the wrath of the religious leaders on Lazarus as well as Jesus. In a show of remarkable love Mary anoints Jesus's feet with perfume and dries them with her hair. While Judas is scandalized, Jesus sees the love behind the action and praises her. Sometimes in the church we are afraid of physical things, but God gives us bodies as well as spirits to worship him and to love others. We begin Holy Week with Mary, worshiping at Christ's feet.

God bless,
Sam

John 12:1-11

1Six 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.