Our worship this week will be rooted in John’s Gospel account of Mary’s discipleship. You may read John 12.1-8 here.
From The New Interpreter’s Bible commentary (vol. 9, page 703): “In the Gospel accounts of Mark and Matthew scholars focus on Jesus’ act of washing the feet of the disciples at the last supper and they link this with Jesus’ burial. “In the foot washing Jesus will wash his disciples’ feet as an expression of his love for them, as a way of drawing them into his life with God. He will also ask them to repeat this act of service for one another. What Jesus will do for his disciples and will ask them to do for one another, Mary has already done for him in our passage for this week. (12.3)”
In Mary, we are given a picture of the fullness of the life of discipleship…Her act shows the love that will be the hallmark of discipleship in the Gospel of John as she gives in love in response to her recognition of who Jesus is.
Mary knows what to do before any of the other disciples. She gives boldly of herself. She shares, in love, with Jesus and in this sharing shows him how deeply she understands what it means to be one of his followers.
Depending on “who” someone is, we too may respond in unique ways. In your own life, for whom do you “get out the good china” ? For whom will you “clean the house top to bottom”? These efforts take time. Your choice demands that you work hard and give of yourself. What are other actions that you have taken in order to express your love for someone who visits you? Why do you do this? What do you believe you are communicating to yourself and to your guest(s) when you do?
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