In today’s Gospel we once again hear about Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. We already heard about these three family members in chapter 11, the story of the “Raising of Lazarus.” That chapter began by introducing those two sisters and their brother: “Now a man was ill, Lazarus from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.” (John 11:1). The next verse even gives us a foreshadowing of today’s Gospel: “Mary was the one who had anointed the Lord with perfumed oil and dried his feet with her hair; it was her brother Lazarus who was ill.” (John 11:2). Martha figured prominently in chapter 11 as Jesus leads her to full faith and asks her if she believes:
Martha: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.”
Jesus: “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
Martha: “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.”
In today’s Gospel (chapter 12) Mary figures prominently as she anoints the feet of Jesus with costly perfumed oil and dries them with her hair. Jesus defends her actions as prophetic and a foreshadowing of his own death and burial:
“Leave her alone. Let her keep this for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”
Mary’s actions were not only a foreshadowing of Jesus’ burial but are also a foreshadowing of Jesus’ washing of the feet of his disciples in the very next chapter 13:
“Then Jesus poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel around his waist.” (John 13:5)
“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…” (John 12:3).
This family from Bethany each are witnesses to the Gospel, Lazarus shows us Jesus’ power over death. Martha shows us true and deep faith and Mary prophetically shows us that true life comes through Jesus’ death on the cross.
Image: “Mary Anoints Jesus” by elizaraxi is licensed under CC BY 2.0.