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The Holy Lent

Day 37 - Tuesday before Hosanna

by Prince Mathew

Preface for Meditation

The anointing at Bethany is a truly beautiful and remarkable incident. A woman pours expensive ointment on Jesus' body. The ointment was so expensive it cost 300 denarii or almost a year's worth of wages. The disciples are shocked and appalled by this extravagant "waste" of money, and go so far as to scold the woman. Jesus rebukes the disciples saying:

"But Jesus said, ‘Let her alone; why do you trouble her? She has performed a good service for me. For you always have the poor with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish; but you will not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for its burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her." Mark 14:6-9

Jesus reminds the disciples that while caring for the poor and meeting people's basic needs are vitally important, his primary mission is the cross. The woman provides care for Jesus and helps prepare his body "beforehand for its burial" (spices were used to anoint a body for burial). So what seemed like wasteful exuberance is affirmed as an important act of service which recognized the primary importance of Jesus' journey to the cross.

Jesus was being prepared for his journey to the cross, burial, and resurrection. There was nothing more important to Jesus, the disciples, and the world than Jesus' mission. The woman spent time and considerable resources in an act of loving service to prepare Jesus.

Therefore, We need to spend our time and our considerable resources in an act of loving service to prepare Jesus' for his journey to the cross, burial, and resurrection.

Bible Reading Passages:
Tuesday before Hosanna

Evening

Morning

  • Genesis 41: 38 - 52
  • I Samuel 17: 34-51
  • Acts 21:1-14
  • Romans 8:12-27
  • St. Mark 10: 32-45

Bible Verse of the Day:

"If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels." - St. Luke 9:26

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