In the week of international women's day ....

"At Cana, the divine excess was for a wedding celebration. At Bethany, Mary's extravagance foretold of an imminent death.

           If the suspiciously similar-but-different story in Luke 7:36–50 describes the same event, the anointing of Jesus by a woman is one of the rare stories that's told in all four gospels. It was a powerful memory for the earliest believers. Jesus says her act was so singular that from that time forth, "wherever this gospel is preached, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."

           And how's this for unintended irony — Matthew and Mark never name this person; they simply call her "a woman." Luke describes her as "a sinful woman." There's a long history of identifying the woman as Mary Magdalene, although the gospels never say this. John alone tells us that it was Mary, the sibling of Martha and Lazarus.

Jesus anointed at Bethany, by James Woodward.

           What is the Spirit of God saying in this story of wild excess during the Lenten season of self-denial?"

http://www.journeywithjesus.net/Essays/20130311JJ.shtml

Lazarus

Writing some time after the other three,

gospel writer John

gives us a second resurrection story;

that of friend Lazarus, brother

of some women who made Jesus welcome

when he came to their little village.

Well, why not? If you’re going to believe

one resurrection story,

you might as well believe two.

Gospel tellers, by definition,

are custodians of an amazing yarn

which must be published abroad;

a telling of divine illumination

encompassing mysteries of compelling love

and undistinguishing grace. Of a man

who, in befriending the unlovely

utters a universe of hopeful sighings,

an ocean of bewildering embracings,

and mountains-full of wonder.

These four are artists,

ever-striving for the masterpiece

which will fulfil their kingdom calling

to cry aloud so that all may hear;

to sing their song of sad,

deep beauty that will lead the soul

to freedom and to joy. Metaphor writers;

they know the earth-bound limitations

of the clumsy words with which they paint

their eager canvases,

taking reassurance from their stories

of death and resurrection and trusting

in their strange and uncertain truth.

© 2011 Ken Rookes