The Lady with the Jar of Oil

Deacon Tom Writes,

The Lady with the Jar of Oil

Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion, Year B

We don’t know much about the woman who walks into Simon the leper’s house from our reading in Mark’s Gospel. But we do know that this was an important event for two reasons. First, because Jesus tells us that “wherever the gospel is proclaimed to the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.” Second, this story is told in all four gospels. (If you’re interested, here are the references:  Matthew 26.6, Mark 24.4, Luke 7.36, and John 12.1. You can see how details are added to the earliest account that we read today in Mark).

I like Mark’s account because we don’t get caught up in personalities. Rather, we gain insight into how God provides us with all that we need in life just as we need it.

Picture the scene. Jesus is having dinner with Simon and this uninvited woman comes in off the street, breaks open an expensive jar of perfumed oil, and anoints Jesus’ head. There is a little outbreak on how unreasonable this is, to do such a thing at the expense of feeding the poor. (An estimate places the value of the oil at about one year’s wages for a field worker). But Jesus states and awful truth, “the poor you will always have with you”. How true and how sad!

This act of kindness by the woman with the oil comforts Jesus as His hour approaches. A stranger appears on the scene, does what needs to be done, and then goes off into the night. Jesus needed to be strengthened and encouraged but he gets neither from His close friends and disciples, only from this stranger.

There are times in our lives when we have the chance to be an “angel of mercy” just like this woman with the jar. We have opportunities to lift someone’s spirits, give them some positive affirmation, encourage them, or cheer them up. It may cost us some time and some energy. We may have to rearrange our schedules or go out of our way. But remember, it was expensive oil, a year’s salary. Remember too, as we come into Holy Week, that when we do any kind deed for another person, we are really doing it to Jesus who was so grateful for this act of kindness that He tells them it will be remembered as long as the gospel is proclaimed throughout the world. And, that’s why we hear this story today.

Have a holy, Holy Week!

Deacon Tom

Image credit: riverwindgallaryart.com