An Authentic Gift | Monday Invocation
“Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’s feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. ”
— John 12:3 NRSVUE
Have you ever given someone a gift you worried they might not actually like? Maybe that gift did not seem like much, but perhaps it was all you could offer.
In this passage (John 12:1-8), we encounter an intimate moment where Jesus is in the company of Mary, Martha, Lazarus, and Judas Iscariot. They had dinner and were lounging about when Mary takes an expensive perfume and starts to anoint Jesus’ feet, using her hair to wipe them clean. Judas ruins the moment by criticizing Mary for the gift she is offering Jesus. (As scripture tells us, Judas, a thief, was upset that so much money was spent on this expensive perfume and was not going into his pocket.)
What strikes me from this passage is that Mary does not just give the expensive perfume to Jesus as a gift and says, “I hope you like it.” She takes the oil and uses it to anoint Jesus, even going as far as using her hair to complete the ritual.
Mary is a part of the gift she is giving Jesus. She is offering her time and care to Jesus at this moment. She recognizes the cost of what she is offering and adds to that cost by offering herself in the process. She offers Jesus a gift that is sacred and deeply personal.
There are going to be times where the ways you offer yourself to God will be criticized by the “Judases” of this world. As LGBTQ+ Christians, we sometimes meet criticism for offering the Divine a gift that is sacred and personal: our authentic selves.
Today, we embrace this truth: your authentic self is a beautiful gift. Let us live boldly in this truth, knowing we are cherished and celebrated by the One who created us.
P.S. Want to talk through these passages in community? Join our Lenten Community Groups! Our Sunday evening group is full but we still have space in our Wednesday and Thursday morning groups! Sign up at the link below today!
