Matthew 26:6-9
Now while Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment, and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table. But when the disciples saw it, they were angry and said, “Why this waste? For this ointment could have been sold for a large sum, and the money given to the poor.”
Let’s be honest. Most of us cannot even begin to imagine what this scene must have been like. But let’s try.
We’re at dinner. We’re visiting with a friend, someone Jesus had healed, who lives in a suburb just outside Jerusalem. It’s a quiet meal, even a little subdued. But that’s okay. The last couple of days have been pretty intense. Jesus has been teaching about, well, things like the destruction of the Temple and the end of the world and other minor stuff! And, boy, did it rile folks up. In fact, there were moments where we were pretty sure they were just going to haul Jesus off to prison. But they didn’t.
And now we have a break. Simon was glad to see us. He’s always glad to see Jesus. And why not? Jesus is the one who healed him. Except he didn’t just heal him, he restored him to his family and community and life. And so he’s both eager and grateful to share the hospitality of his home, and we’re just as eager and possibly even more grateful to receive it.
And then, all of a sudden, this woman comes into Simon’s dining room with an alabaster jar. You know, the kind of jar that’s so nice it’s probably a family heirloom, the kind of jar you only use to keep something very valuable in. And it turns out that that’s the case. Because its filled with an ointment that you can tell immediately must have been ridiculously expensive – it has a pungent, clean odor, and as she pours it you can see it has no impurities. This is, in short, the good stuff.
But here’s the thing. She pours it over Jesus’ head…right there, at supper. And he just leans back, totally undisturbed. And we’re like, what in the world is going on? First of all, why are you interrupting our meal? Second, this is no place for an anointing. And finally, come to think of it, why are you using so much of this ointment anyway. It’s obviously expensive and you’re just pouring it all over the place like there’s no tomorrow, like the stuff grows on trees. Knock it off! Now!!
So here’s the thing. Even when I really, really try, I still have a hard time imagining what it would have been like to have witnessed this scene. But I do know that sometimes we get confused when things happen that we don’t understand. And sometimes when we’re confused we get angry.
Maybe that’s what’s happening here. Maybe the disciples are mad because it’s expensive ointment being lavishly, even wastefully, dished out. And maybe it’s that they don’t really understand what’s happening. And maybe it’s that it’s a woman. But whatever the reason, the disciples get not just indignant but angry. And I can’t help but wonder what might have happened if, instead of getting mad, they’d gotten curious.
Prayer: Dear God, keep us from the sin of anger when we are confused or afraid. Instead, enliven our hearts with a sense of curiosity about what confuses us and with a courageous trust that you are always with us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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