More Reflections on the Anointing of Jesus in Mk 4:3 - 9
In my last post I was pointing out how Jesus had appreciated the love of the woman who had poured expensive oil on his head and how those around him had rebuked her for wasting the oil that could have been sold and the money given to the poor.. Let us quote exactly what Jesus said.
"Let her alone. Why do you trouble her?" She has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you and whenever you will you can do good to them., but you will not always have me. She had done what she could, she has annointed my body beforehand for burial. AND TRULY I SAY TO YOU wherever the Gospel is preached in the whole world what she has done will be told in memory of her".
Interpretation is everything so let us look at the possibilities.
Was he saying. "Look you are all moaning and groaning about the poor, but I like being anointed with oil, and I am reminding you that I will soon be dead so maybe you should give some thought to that, so will you please shut up, you will always have poor people to look after so why make a fuss.", and he added that "wherever the Gospel is preached what this woman did will be remembered" {So damn you lost}.
I think however there is much more to this Gospel than such an interpretation justifies. Especially when he commands that what the woman did was to be remembered. Some would say that he almost dismisses the poor, they will always be there, and this is worth reflecting on. His Church, the Catholic Church, has no cure for poverty. It has not teaching from Jesus on how to manage economies and how to distribute wealth. Yes, she has and always will stood with the poor, fed the poor, and sought justice for the poor, but Jesus Christ was not a Radical Reformer. It is sad that there were young men who joined the Church in the not too distant past who were filled with this idea that Christianity could be used to reform the World Order, and I know of some who left disillusioned. When he was before Pilate he was asked "Are you a King" But he answered "My Kingdom is not of this world" His Kingdom was one of Love. His Kingdom was one where he was a King of a people caught up in a wave of love for him, and would sweep the world telling the poor and the mighty that there was a God who loved them so much that he lived among them and offered his life for them. When the world was drawn to this Kingdom of Love then there would be a world of Peace. But the first step was to return this love of Jesus by loving him in return.
If we return to the Gospel of Mark then we can see the story in a different light. The story of the woman would be told because she so loved Jesus that she gave indeed sacrificed precious ointment to anoint him and show her love for him. So perhaps that was the challenge of Jesus "Is feeding the poor more important than loving me" Surely it is because we love Jesus that we feed the poor. Or is it? How easy it is to get caught up in doing this and doing that in the Church, sending money to this or that charity, being a member of this or that group and yet having little time to sit and talk to Jesus as he wants us to talk to him.
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I implore, the grace to love Thee daily more and more.
"Let her alone. Why do you trouble her?" She has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you and whenever you will you can do good to them., but you will not always have me. She had done what she could, she has annointed my body beforehand for burial. AND TRULY I SAY TO YOU wherever the Gospel is preached in the whole world what she has done will be told in memory of her".
Interpretation is everything so let us look at the possibilities.
Was he saying. "Look you are all moaning and groaning about the poor, but I like being anointed with oil, and I am reminding you that I will soon be dead so maybe you should give some thought to that, so will you please shut up, you will always have poor people to look after so why make a fuss.", and he added that "wherever the Gospel is preached what this woman did will be remembered" {So damn you lost}.
I think however there is much more to this Gospel than such an interpretation justifies. Especially when he commands that what the woman did was to be remembered. Some would say that he almost dismisses the poor, they will always be there, and this is worth reflecting on. His Church, the Catholic Church, has no cure for poverty. It has not teaching from Jesus on how to manage economies and how to distribute wealth. Yes, she has and always will stood with the poor, fed the poor, and sought justice for the poor, but Jesus Christ was not a Radical Reformer. It is sad that there were young men who joined the Church in the not too distant past who were filled with this idea that Christianity could be used to reform the World Order, and I know of some who left disillusioned. When he was before Pilate he was asked "Are you a King" But he answered "My Kingdom is not of this world" His Kingdom was one of Love. His Kingdom was one where he was a King of a people caught up in a wave of love for him, and would sweep the world telling the poor and the mighty that there was a God who loved them so much that he lived among them and offered his life for them. When the world was drawn to this Kingdom of Love then there would be a world of Peace. But the first step was to return this love of Jesus by loving him in return.
If we return to the Gospel of Mark then we can see the story in a different light. The story of the woman would be told because she so loved Jesus that she gave indeed sacrificed precious ointment to anoint him and show her love for him. So perhaps that was the challenge of Jesus "Is feeding the poor more important than loving me" Surely it is because we love Jesus that we feed the poor. Or is it? How easy it is to get caught up in doing this and doing that in the Church, sending money to this or that charity, being a member of this or that group and yet having little time to sit and talk to Jesus as he wants us to talk to him.
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I implore, the grace to love Thee daily more and more.
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