A Touch Of Madness

The people of Bethany gave Jesus a banquet, John tells us. Present was a woman of Bethany named Mary. John’s Gospel tells us that “Mary brought a pound of costly perfume made from genuine aromatic oils with which she anointed Jesus’ feet. Then she dried his feet with her hair, and the house was filled with the ointment’s fragrance.” She had experienced the love of God in Christ and it had made her into a new person. And because she was so full of the wonder and joy of this experience, she found herself expressing it in this extravagant way. Judas Iscariot (who was about to betray Jesus) was there and he protested: “Why was not this perfume sold? It could have brought three hundred silver pieces, and the money have been given to the poor” (Jn.12:5). Undoubtedly, many of today’s “work ethic,” frugal, uptight people would agree that Judas was right; that it was a waste. But Jesus said it was a beautiful thing…