May 4, 2020
Good afternoon,
" As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. " Luke 7:38
I will begin a week of reflections on the women who were around Jesus, during his time here on earth. Last week, I wrote about the disciples that were named to be part of the 12. The women who followed Jesus were not named in the same way.
The story of Jesus being anointed by a woman is told in the Gospels in four different ways. The story in Luke is while he is in Galilee, and the other three tell of a woman who does the radical act right before Jesus dies. The woman in Luke is not named. In Matthew, the unnamed woman is at the home of Simon the Leper, and anoints Jesus's head . In Mark, it is the same woman in the anointing story. In John, it is Mary ( of Mary, Martha and Lazarus ), and she anoints the feet of her Lord.
A bottle of perfume was broken, a mostly unnamed woman poured it on one part of Jesus's body, and people in the room reacted negatively to her actions. What is the meaning of the story for you ? Some assume she is a sinner, and she is ridiculed, but Jesus stands up for her. She understands his mission in life, and Jesus says, " that wherever the Gospel is preached throughout the world, she will be remembered." ( Mark 14 ).
What acts of worship that you have seen, that have been important for your faith ? A communion service or a footwashing event ? A song at your baptism or wedding ? I remember watching two members of a church, who knew each other for seventy years, washing each others' feet during a footwashing service. Both died within the year, and so it was the last time that they had experienced that act of worship together. And I smelled their tears and love.
Prayer for Today
Dear God,
Thank you for your stories,
A broken bottle of scents,
for you, and only you.
A washing of your hair and feet,
to bring a beautiful smell throughout the room and the world,
And you brought out her faithfulness, took a stand for her,
for all to see.
and she is never forgotten, for ever and ever
Even until today.
Thanks you for the smells of faith. AMEN
Fred
Ponder Anew 