Beautiful (repost)

This little story is a repost of something I wrote last year during Lent.  Enjoy.

This morning as I read Mark 14, trying to prepare myself in this journey of Lent, I broke down and wept as I reached these words of Jesus in 14:6;

"Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me."

She became real to me. Here is her story:

"Where is He? Where is my Lord? I must find Him. I love Him! I love Him! It is nearly the Passover and the throngs of pilgrims will soon swarm into our city. How will I find my Lord then? I am weary of searching and my legs are so tired of walking, but I have seen Him in this neighborhood---ahh! I hear His voice! It is the home of Simon the Leper.

I stop and consider what I am about to do. Then I break through my fear and I run beyond reason, uninvited, into this place where I know I will find Him.

My presence is shocking.

There are only men reclining at the table. I am a woman. I am not supposed to be here, yet my passion fuels me. I run to Him. I am still carrying the heavy jar--the jar that is His--the jar that must be broken for Him.

I reach Him and I am weeping. I break the precious jar and pour the costly perfume--the ointment of nard--upon His head--His beautiful head--and my love pours out and scatters around Him like the shards of alabaster that are everywhere.

He is pleased! I have pleased my Lord! In His eyes I see the forgiveness and the love and the peace that paralyzed me at first and comforts me now.

In the background, I hear the other men call me "Wasteful!" and "Foolish!" and "Stupid!"

But Jesus--my Lord--my Love--Jesus calls me "Beautiful."

 

"I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."

Mark 14:9