EXTRAVAGANT LOVE

To the followers of and visitors to my blog I want to explain why I have not been posting articles in recent days. I've been somewhat incapacitated by some health complications following recent surgery. I hope to get back to work in the near future, but in the meantime I'll try to post something relevant or useful now and then. For starters, here is a poetic reflection on part of the lectionary Gospel passage for Sunday, March 17, 2013.

Jesus said, "Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me" (John 12:7-8, NRSV).

            EXTRAVAGANT LOVE

When Mary poured perfume on Jesus                                                                  
        and then wiped his feet with her hair,
John’s Gospel tells us it was Judas
        who growled about what she did there.

In Matthew and Luke the disciples
        and others there also complained,
but John put the blame upon Judas
        for reasons he later explained.

Whoever it was that objected,
        it was a well-founded concern,
for poverty was a real problem.
        But Judas had something to learn.

“You leave her alone,” Jesus told him.
        “She purchased it to anoint me.
The poor you will always have with you,
        but you will not always have me.”

Those words are no justification
        for any neglect of the poor.
Indeed, since they always are with us,
        they should then be helped all the more.

What Jesus implied was that Mary’s
        extravagant act in a way
was symbolizing her anointing
        his body for burial day.

And so should we modern-day Christians
        learn something, when push comes to shove
among those who plan the church budget:
        Christ honors extravagant love!

RSA