Devotion - Wednesday, September 28

Mark 13 is an interesting chapter. It is apocalyptic in style, meaning it speaks of great cataclysmic events at the "end of time." Somehow I had failed to notice that the first story to follow this interesting presentation is the story of the woman who anoints Jesus with costly oil.

Jesus is at the house of Simon, "the leper." The woman enters and pours the pure nard over Jesus ' head. The writer says it could have been sold for 300 denarii (that would be something around $16K in modern terms.) "The money could have been given to the poor," they insist.

Jesus tells them to leave her alone. "You will always have the poor, and you can choose to help them at any time. You will not always have me." he says.

Then, he says something I remembered, but had not really thought about. He says, that whenever the story of his presence is told, this story will be remembered, and re-told.

Only twice, in all of the gospels, does Jesus say that something will be "remembered." One is the events at the Lord's Supper. The other is the action of this woman. "And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her."

The commentaries tell us that her action serves the purpose of anointing Jesus for his burial. The violent nature of his death and the rush to get him from the cross to the tomb means there is no time for anointing. The women who discover the empty grave are on their way to anoint him, three days after his death. This woman's actions ensure that Jesus has a proper burial, according to the religious customs of his day. What she does is important, so important that it is remembered and retold.

There will forever be talk of great and cataclysmic events. There are those who seek to find ways to act which will bring about the greatest possible change in the world; in God's presence in the world. We sometimes overlook the simple acts of anointing, the doing of what is right and proper. The grand vision of Mark 13 is followed with the seemingly wasteful act of preparing Jesus for his burial.

How will you seek to serve God today? Will it be some great and grand event? Or will it be in some seemingly simple act? The cost of the nard is (in my opinion) a device to help us understand the value of this woman's actions. It is a way of calling attention to the view of too many that rituals and rites are a waste. Yet Jesus reminds us that this simple, preparatory act is to be remembered and retold.

How will you seek to serve God? Look for the opportunity to change the world; but don't overlook the chance to do the right thing, the simple thing, the thing which sustains the piety of God's people.