Our journey through Lent is quickly coming to a close. It’s amazing how such a long difficult road of reflection and repentance could go so quickly. But here we are. A week away from Palm Sunday, Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
As I continue to ponder the Lenten lectionary text for this Sunday, John 12:1-8, I am looking hard at Jesus’ words to Judas and the family at Bethany (Mary, Martha, and Lazarus). When Judas scolds Mary for wasting her expensive nard on Jesus feet, when she should have used that money to feed the poor, Jesus tells Judas to “leave her alone.” Then he says something puzzling. Jesus says “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.”
What’s he saying here? Is he referring to priorities? Is he saying that feeding the poor isn’t important?
Most Christians I know, especially those in the Mainline Protestant tradition, are passionate about mission and serving others, but it’s not easy to get folks out for small groups, Bible studies, adult Christian formation classes, etc. I wonder if we put so much emphasis on busyness and doing things for the Lord that it leaves us little time or energy to just spend one on one time with Jesus.
Can we really serve others effectively unless we allow God opportunities to fill us up?
Is Jesus saying in this passage that sitting at his feet is more important than feeding the poor?
Thoughts?
I do think that Jesus is saying that spending time with him now , while he is still here bodily, is more imprtant than doing the busy things. The busy things are always available (even the busy little details of running church programs). All too often people get burned out by doing the busy things than doing the important thing(s) that will fill their spiritual quest. The problem is being able to identify the important from the busy.
By: George Koulousias on March 24, 2010
at 4:14 pm