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It's Saturday evening. The Sabbath is over. Jesus has less than a week to live. He knows. The mood of the Jewish religious leaders has grown increasingly hostile, and there's a bounty on Jesus' head. Jerusalem is a powder keg. Jesus has been warning his disciples for months that he is going up to Jerusalem to die. They're about to see Jesus' prophecy come true.
Mary of Bethany senses that her time with Jesus is short. While Jesus enjoys dinner with Mary's brother, Lazarus, who was dead in his tomb just a few weeks ago, Mary expresses her love for Jesus. She wants him to know, while she still has the opportunity to show it, how much he means to her.
And that's a great deal! Mary takes about a ½ liter of pure nard, an expensive and aromatic ointment and pours it over Jesus' feet. Then, in an act of selfless humility, Mary got down on her knees and wiped Jesus' feet with her hair.
Judas Iscariot's criticism helps us appreciate Mary's financial sacrifice. "Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages," Judas complained in John 12:5 (NIV). If Judas' estimate was anywhere close to accurate, then Mary's gift was worth about 300 denarii - a huge sum in first century Palestine.
But the nard only formed part of Mary's gift. In the First Century world, "proper" women never appeared in public with their hair loosed, and they certainly didn't touch men in familiar ways unless the men really were family. But Mary wasn't worried about what people might think or say; Mary abandoned herself to the moment. Mary wanted Jesus to know how much she loved him, so she gave generously and completely. Jesus understood her motive, because he fended off Judas criticism: "Leave her alone," Jesus replied. "It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me."
It is both a mercy and a misfortune that we don't usually know when it's our last opportunity to display our love for someone.
Years ago, I took an early morning flight halfway across the country to say goodbye to a dear friend and mentor. He had cancer, and we both knew he had only a short time to live. I wanted to see him again. We visited, and he even baked a coconut cream pie (one of his specialties!) for the occasion. Far too soon, the time came for me to leave. I hugged him that day knowing that I would never see him again this side of Heaven. What do you say in those circumstances; what "fits" more than "I love you"? Getting into the car to leave was one of the most difficult moments in my life. Maybe it's a mercy that we don't have to face those circumstances very often.
But is it also sometimes unfortunate that we don't know about our "lasts"? Working as part of a volunteer ambulance crew, I was called to the scene of a serious accident. It turned out that there was no real need for the ambulance; our patient had died instantly from a broken neck. As that day went on, however, we learned more of the story. The victim was on her way to visit her husband in the hospital. She'd come home for a shower and a night's rest in her own bed, but was going back to his bedside. She never made it. When she'd left the hospital the day before, she didn't know it was the last time she would ever see her husband. What if she had?
The truth, of course, is that we usually don't know about the "lasts." Life is fragile; accidents happen. Hearts fail. Strokes strike. Evil kills.
The only intelligent option is to treat every encounter as if it might be a "last." Don't assume people know you care; tell them! Let go of the anger and disappointment and forgive while you still can. Say "Thanks!" Apologize. Give generously without holding back. Cherish moments with family and friends; make great memories. Worship as if you might actually stand in God's presence later that same day. Hug often. Live so that if an encounter turns into a "last," it will be one you can remember without guilt or regret. Don't presume that you'll have another opportunity!