UNBLOCKING THE WELL OF THE LIVING WORD

John 11:45–57; 12:1–8 

Focus verse: ‘“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied, “it was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial”’ (John 12:7) 

Old Testament lens: ‘Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil’ (Psalm 23:4) 

The raising of Lazarus triggers a crisis among the religious leaders, leading to an emergency meeting of the chief priests and Pharisees, who are deeply alarmed. They fear that if Jesus continues gaining followers, the Romans will intervene, potentially destroying the Temple, the city, and their fragile religious-political status. This is the only moment in the Gospels where ‘the Romans’ are explicitly mentioned as a threat. The Jewish leaders’ fear was not irrational. Less than 40 years after Jesus’ death, a Jewish revolt would indeed provoke Rome to destroy Jerusalem and the Temple, leaving the nation devastated. 

The leaders’ decision to kill Jesus was deeply ironic. Caiaphas, the high priest, declares that it is better for one man to die than for the whole nation to perish, a cynical political calculation that John interprets as an unintentional prophecy.(1) Jesus’ death, though plotted as a political convenience, is portrayed by John as a redemptive, divine act. Jesus is the ‘Lamb of God’ and His death is aligned symbolically and chronologically with the Passover celebration, recalling the Exodus story of Israel’s liberation from Egypt. His crucifixion would occur on the Day of Preparation, the same time the Passover lambs were slaughtered. 

It is in this fraught political and spiritual climate that Mary’s gesture in John 12:1–8 takes place. Jesus returns to Bethany, near Jerusalem, knowing a death sentence hangs over Him. The atmosphere is thick with danger. The oppressive presence of Rome, the plots of the religious leaders, and the looming Passover all cast a long shadow over the dinner scene in Lazarus’ home. 

Mary’s act, breaking a jar of costly perfume and anointing Jesus’ feet, is not only lavish, but profoundly intimate and socially provocative. Letting down her hair in public was seen as scandalous, an almost indecent gesture. The act would have shocked the other guests. And yet, it’s this bold, exposed devotion that Jesus receives as preparation for His burial. 

Just as Caiaphas spoke more truth than he knew, so Mary’s action carries symbolic weight beyond her intention. She is anointing the Lamb of God for burial. The perfume, worth a year’s wages, is a luxury and a burial spice, used for mourning. This underscores the urgency and reality of Jesus’ impending death. Jesus’ response to Judas’ objection, who masks greed with concern for the poor, is profound. He insists that Mary’s act is timely and necessary. While care for the poor remains important, this moment demands something more. Mary’s prophetic act of devotion, carried out in a time of deep political danger and under the looming threat of Roman violence, anticipates Jesus’ death as the true Passover Lamb, linking the Exodus story with the Gospel’s central message of redemption through sacrificial love. 

The Early Church Fathers who inspired the Celtic Church 

Macarius of Egypt (c300–391), also known as Macarius the Great 

‘A Christian is one who has been changed from darkness into light, from the old nature into the new creation, through the power of the heavenly Spirit.’ 

In Matthew 26:13 and Mark 14:9, we are reminded that Mary’s devotion would be inspirational, and Jesus says, ‘Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed i n the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.’ 

The devotion of Macarius was similarly inspirational. The ideals Macarius embodied became central to Celtic monastic spirituality. His focus on spiritual warfare and the inner life of the soul strongly resonated with Celtic monasticism, which emphasised personal sanctity, penitence, and the battle against sin. 

Macarius taught that true Christianity is not merely moral reform or external observance but an inner transformation of the soul by the Holy Spirit. He often compared this to the soul being re-created, as if God’s Spirit were forming a new nature within, much as God formed Adam at first. Spiritual transformation, for Macarius, meant the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the heart, producing divine qualities within the human person. This transformation was not theoretical; he described it as an experiential process where the soul feels the divine presence purifying and illuminating it. Though the Spirit enters the believer’s heart, Macarius emphasised that transformation is gradual. The old sinful nature and the new spiritual nature struggle together until the Spirit fully conquers. So spiritual transformation is a journey of cooperation between divine grace and human freedom. 

Ultimately, spiritual transformation is deification (theosis): the soul becomes united with God, radiant with divine love. ‘The soul that is counted worthy of communion with the Holy Spirit becomes wholly light, wholly spirit, wholly joy, and wholly rest.’

John Wesley, the revivalist and founder of Methodism, found in Macarius a model of ongoing growth, sanctification, and the transformational work of grace. Dr Atef Meshreky is also inspired by Macarius and other Church Fathers, saying the true Christian life involves the ‘formation of Christ within’ the believer, an inner transformation by which Christ is ‘formed’ in us, making us Christ-like. (2) The early Church Fathers taught a similar process of regeneration, transformation, and Christ-likeness.

Mary of Bethany’s act of devotion resonated with the spiritual values of Celtic Christianity. St Melangell of Wales (3) was a Welsh virgin saint associated with hospitality, shelter, and sanctuary. A local Welsh noble, Prince Brochwel, was hunting hares in the valley where Melangell lived, and the hare took refuge under her cloak. Brochwel, struck by her holy presence, asked about her, and she told him of her life of prayer, solitude, and dedication. Deeply moved, he gave her the valley as a place of permanent sanctuary. Her story inspired the idea of the Church as a sanctuary, not only for animals but also for the vulnerable and outcast. Like Mary of Bethany, Melangell is associated with acts of tenderness and reverence. 

REVIVAL

Jesus said that the washing of His feet with perfume would be told wherever the gospel was preached. Another story in Luke 7:36–50 is of an unnamed sinful woman who anoints Jesus’ feet with tears. Both stories speak of devotion through anointing, one with tears and the other with perfume. 

PRAYER

I will anoint You with perfume and with tears from my eyes. You are the Lamb who died for the sins of the world. I am totally devoted, devoted to You. 

Devoted to you ( CLICK ON THE PICTURE BELOW TO LISTEN TO SONG)

____________________

(1) Wright, N.T. John for Everyone, Part 2, SPCK, 19.

(2) Meshreky, A. The Inner Man and the formation of Christ, Shine international, (2016)

(3) https://shrewsburyorthodox.com/local-saints/saint-mellangell/?utm_source=chatgpt.com