Swaddled by Her Hair

~~~ Isaiah 42:1-7 ~~~ Psalm 27 ~~~ John 12:1-11 ~~~

Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil
made from genuine aromatic nard
and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair;
the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. 

Mary held nothing back for later.

She did not just pour the expensive oil on the feet of Jesus;

she broke the jar.

She broke the with not hope or intention of saving any for later.

She gave it all completely to Jesus.

Recently I had the experience of following a path 

to reach an unfamiliar prayer space.

While small signs and candles marked the way 

what led me most was what I could smell.

The fragrance of the scented candles

 burning in the prayer space guided me the closer I came.

Imagine one quart of perfumed oil spilling in your home.

The fragrance would permeate the entire house.

You would be able to smell the perfume days or weeks later.

Now we have devices that plug into the wall

 to continuously send a pleasing fragrance into the air space.

We are not told why Mary had such a large 

amount of this expensive oil.

Had it been in her family for years?

Was it kept especially for burial rites?

Whatever the reason she took this beautiful jar 

of expensive oil and broke it 

allowing the oil to freely spread all around 

the legs and feet of Jesus.

At that moment her intent was to anoint Jesus.

This was not typical anointing where the oil 

was poured over the head.

The oil instead was poured on his feet.

She takes her long hair and wraps it around his feet.

She is kneeling at the feet of Jesus as she had done before.

Before she was focused intently on listening to his every word.

Now no words were necessary from Jesus or from Mary.

Judas breaks the moment with his harsh accusation...

he was thinking about the material value of the oil.

Mary valued the presence of Jesus much more 

than the money she could earn by selling the oil.

Dare I say that Jesus and Mary had a very intimate moment that day.

She humbled herself at his feet.

She took her hair, a source of beauty for a woman,

and swaddled his feet.

I invite you to fill your home with your favorite fragrance today.

Allow yourself to attend to this smell for a moment.

Reflect on how you can give yourself more fully to God.

Pour out all of your fears, joys, and sorrows.

Empty yourself at his feet.

This lingering fragrance like peace and joy 

will permeate your soul.

Blessed to broken and poured out at his feet.

May the peace of Christ 

be the fragrance you leave with others.