Who is Mary of Bethany?

This week we will hear the story of Mary’s faith in action. It takes place in the little city east of Jerusalem named Bethany. It is at the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Jesus is there for supper. Lazarus has recently been raised from the dead by Jesus and the only other person named in the story is Judas Iscariot, the one who will betray Jesus in a little less than a week’s time. You may want to read this story in John 11:55-12:11. I have included a few extra verses that help give a little more of the story for our lectionary reading (12:1-8) on Sunday.

Mary, much to Martha’s chagrin, will be at Jesus’ feet listening to his words about God, and in this instance carrying out a faithful act of extravagance by anointing Jesus’ feet with the genuine aromatic nard (oil) that is worth about a year’s wages! This expression of extravagant love and devotion to him is a sign of her love, devotion, and deep faith. This comes from experiencing Jesus’ tender mercy by seeing her brother, Lazarus, raised from the dead, from her listening to Jesus’ teachings. Unknown to her and those gathered at her home there her act of anointing Jesus’ feet will be a foreshadowing of the Last Supper and Jesus burial. This is a beautiful story that demonstrates her faith and a relationship of knowing her Lord and Savior.

On the other hand, we have Judas Iscariot, you know, he’s the one who will betray Jesus. In this story we learn that he is the keeper of the disciple’s money bag, and he is a thief because he helps himself of what is put in there. His relationship and focus with Jesus, even though he is a disciple, is not genuine and is underdeveloped. He ponders, how do I benefit from this situation, and he disparages Mary’s extravagant act of anointing Jesus with empty words about helping the poor and being wasteful.

This snapshot of Mary and Judas couldn’t be any more opposite. However, it is a great example of what our personal faith may look like. How well do we know Jesus? What values do we take on that from Jesus’ living words? How do we live out our faith through word and deed – the things we say and do – to reflect the extravagant and saving love of Christ for us?

In the world today we are pushed and challenged to be living examples of God’s love for us as we live out our baptismal call to be, as Martin Luther once said, little Christ’s to our neighbors, for in so doing we find our true identity as children of God.

Bring Christ’s love to life,

Pastor Nate