How Much Do We Care?

Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus—the man he had raised from the dead. ² A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. ³ Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance. ⁴ But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, ⁵ “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.” ⁶ Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself.
John 12:1-6

As we go through this week leading up to Easter, let's take a look at some of the interesting things about Jesus' life during this week that we often overlook because we don't really understand or they seem to be mere footnotes in history.

In this passage, Jesus is at the home of the same Lazarus whom He raised from the dead.  Martha prepared a dinner in Jesus' honor and Lazarus ate with Him.  Now Mary, who had sat at the feet of Jesus and listened intently to Him teach.  As the they are eating, she takes a HUGE jar of EXPENSIVE perfume and washes Jesus' feet with it and then dries His feet with her hair.

Okay.....saddle up......'What's so big about dabbing a bit of perfume on Jesus' feet?'  Well, in Jesus' time, the feet were the most unclean part of the human body because people and animals tended to leave everything in the roadways, so as one is traveling from place to place the feet stepped in all sorts of detritus. Which is why one of the hallmarks of a gracious host was to make sure the traveler had their feet washed BEFORE entering the home.  Mary not only washed Jesus' feet, she washed them with an entire pound of perfume that cost a laborer an entire year's salary.  How many of us would give up a year's wages to perform a single act of graciousness to Jesus?   

Mary also dried Jesus' feet with her own hair.  Now she has washed the journey's crud from Jesus feet with this expensive perfume, and now she's wiping with her hair which would perfume her hair as well as pick up much of the road gunk from Jesus' feet.  How many of us would be so humble as to take care of someone with in such a way?

Enter Judas (yes, THAT Judas), who complains about the "wasting" of this perfume which he claimed could be sold and the money used to help the poor.  Well, let's consider this for a moment.  IF Mary had surrendered this perfume to be sold, because of the cost, selling it would be a challenge.  Not to mention the fact that John pulls no punches when he calls Judas a thief.

Beginning to get the picture? 

Finally, yes I'm almost finished, Mary made a sacrifice by doing the unthinkable while Judas' only act was to complain.  Are we Mary or Judas?