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.’ Jn 12: 1-8
One small, small, tangent: how often does one fail to do something for Jesus out of a fear of looking stupid in public? Yes, there is a sense in which Mary's actions are foolish. She displays a kind of courage which I believe is fueled by her love for Jesus. Simply doing something for love of Jesus, knowing that you are going to look stupid in some people's eyes. And they are going to say so.
It has to do with love, and with identity. I once saw a book with the title "Approval Addiction". I think we suffer from that disease far too often. But I think Mary shows us how to be cured. Risk doing something for Jesus, even if it means you look stupid.
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