A Little Perspective

No one can know what took place in Mary's heart when she met Jesus that day. We know that Jesus had "set his face as flint" toward the Holy City. Toward certain arrest and certain death. Of all the people surrounding him, only Mary seemed to understand, for only she seemed moved to take the appropriate action. This story found in John 12:1-8 is the last time the Bible mentions Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. This trio from Bethany had provided something Jesus needed after leaving Nazareth three and a half years before. They had given him a home. A family. A place to lay his head. And for these sisters and their brother and all who loved Jesus, the mood must have been confused on that last journey to Jerusalem. They knew, of course, that Jesus was a wanted man. The fact had been well publicized. After raising Lazarus from the dead, he had risen quickly to the top of the religious mafias hit list. After seeing Jesus bring their friend Lazarus back to life, they'd been convinced that Jesus was indeed something special-perhaps even the Messiah. If Jesus could do that for a dead man, think what he could do for someone still alive! Loss of position. Loss of power. Loss of influence. At this point in the game, that was a risk the Jewish leaders were not prepared to take-especially not after they had worked so hard to secure just those things. So while the religious establishment plotted Jesus' downfall, God's plan to bring all humanity back to him was gathering speed. Heaven's gates began to open, ready to receive all who would come in through Jesus Christ the Son. (From: Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World)