Even for us Protestants who consider ourselves to be fairly liturgical Holy Tuesday isn’t usually a day we think about too much. It wasn’t until I happened to be leading a Tuesday night service during Holy Week that I really spent time learning about the history of Holy Tuesday.
It was on Tuesday of Holy Week that Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon the Leper when a woman came in with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume and poured it on Jesus’ head. This was an incredible offering to Jesus. It was extravagant almost to the point of absurdity. It seemed frivolous and misplaced, yet Jesus promised this story would be told whenever the gospel was told throughout the world.
But this kind of extravagance wasn’t popular, even with Jesus’ disciples. This offering of perfume was the final straw for Judas who immediately went and agreed to betray Jesus. But Jesus really had to rebuke all those gathered who looked at this gift as a waste of money. Looking at my life, I don’t think I have ever given God a gift someone could mistake for being extravagant. That pains me as I think about it today. Even as a minister, and someone who has uprooted his family to leave everyone they love and go to a place where it is still ridiculously cold during mid-April, I don’t feel like I have ever given to God with that kind of abandon.
When you give with that kind of abandonment it is only because of overwhelming love. The only times I have ever given to extravagantly in my life have been to my family. My love for them has led me to give of my time, energy, money, and giftedness to them in ways that has been extravagant and I relish that gifting. But thinking of Jesus, this day, awaiting his passion I can’t imagine what I could ever give that would be enough to reflect my love. Thinking of my precious savior awaiting his passion, there is no gift I can give that is sufficient to express my love.
All I can to offer is the verse from my favorite hymn The Wonderful Cross. “Were the whole realm of nature mine
That were an offering far too small Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all”
April 7, 2009 at 5:22 pm
The anoiting at Bethany also points to the resurrection. Jesus says that he won’t always be available for such things as the extravagant anointing. No one understands him at the time, but when the women show up at his tomb to anoint his body, he’s gone! So, who is left to care for? I guess they could turn to the poor again. The resurrected Christ says to Peter, “Feed my sheep.” Now, in the resurrection, we are free to do the good works of God and be extravegant to those in need! Halleluia!
April 8, 2009 at 12:29 pm
Shay,
That is a great connection to the other attempted anointing. I especially love the call to lavish our gifts on those left behind!