Preparation...

As I read through the mission trip agenda for the next day or two, the theme appears to be ongoing preparation. The team has been preparing for some weeks; there were meetings to get to know one another and work on the message and drama for the women's retreat they will be putting on later in the week; there has been ongoing devotional and bible studies. And, of course, the work that has gone into fundraising to support the trip and the microloans

There is much to reflect upon the teachings of the Bible about preparation. I'm reminded of Noah, and his tireless work to prepare for the flood. And, of course, there is the work of John the Baptist, who was to prepare the way for the Lord. But, I'm thinking today about the preparation of the woman at Jesus's feet, with the bottle of perfume.

In the story related in John 12:1-8, we learn about the act of Mary, Lazarus's sister, kneeling at the Lord's feet,

..."Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance."

- New Living Translation

In the book "Jesus: A Novel" by Walter Wangerin, here, the author writes about this incident from the perspective of the thoughts of those around Jesus. (I have highly enjoyed both "The Book of God" and "Jesus", which present these stories in the form of a novel, giving us the author's insights about what those around the stories we've read so many times might have been experiencing.) Mary was criticized for "wasting" this expensive bottle of perfume, but she knew that there was nothing more valuable than the service of the Lord. There was no need to "save" this worldly possession; it could come to no greater purpose than to anoint the feet of the Lord.

Jesus provides an explanation for this act: Mary, unkowningly, is preparing Jesus's body, as was done for burial. She was anointing him with oil, in preparation for his coming death. She was part of His work on earth.

Lord, let me be ready to meet you, just Mary was ready. Let me spare nothing to serve you. Be with the Women of Purpose as they prepare to do Your work this week.