Lavish, Anticipatory Devotion
- davidwperk
- Apr 11
- 6 min read
Daily Office Devotional, Friday, April 11, 2025
The week of the fifth Sunday in Lent
The Rev. David W. Perkins, Th.D.
Key verses for reflection from today’s Gospel reading:
12:1Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 2There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. 3Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. . . . .
7Jesus said, ‘Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. 8You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.
You will find the full text of today’s Gospel reading at the end of this reflection.
Daily Office Lectionary Readings (BCP, 956)
AM Psalm 95* & 22; PM Psalm 141, 143:1-11(12)
Jer. 29:1,4-13; Rom. 11:13-24; John 11:1-27 or 12:1-10
Today we celebrate the Feast of George A. Selwyn.. (See below.)
David's Reflections
Jesus and his followers were reclining at table on their left elbows on low couches, their bare feet extending behind them. Mary approached and anointed Jesus' exposed feet, wiping them with her hair. The perfumed oil filled the room with its fragrance. Judas, his motives less than sterling, criticized her, but Jesus silenced that criticism with his praise of her foresight and her commitment. She had performed beforehand, at least in part, an anointing of the body that normally would have happened after death to prepare for interment. In Jesus’ case, death occured so close to the beginning of the Sabbath that anointing was delayed until the next day.
This remarkable incident, in a slightly different version, can be found in Matthew 26 and Mark 14. All three stories share common traits, the anointing at a meal where Jesus reclined, the criticism of extravagance and a reference to using that money for the poor, and Jesus' response to the criticisms. (See Luke 7 for another anointing by a woman.)
Were you and I to reflect, we could discover myriad reasons to be grateful to God, grateful not merely for blessings and positive gifts but grateful for the moments of pain, darkness, and sorrow. It is in those latter moments that God's loving presence takes us into new spaces of empathy, self-understanding, and connection to our inner being, to God and those we love. Mary had reason to be grateful. Jesus had raised her brother Lazarus to life. She had her brother back.
This story reminds us that faith ushers us into the presence of Christ in relationship. Christ lives in our lives, and sits with us at every table we share with others. Every word, every thought, every action occurs in his presence. What lavish anointing can we offer to Jesus as an expression of thankfulness for his loving presence? How can we pour ourselves out like Mary's oil? How can we let her example prod us to trust God’s abundance and avoid the theology of scarcity and lack of integrity evident in Judas?
In an odd way, this story takes me to the stories of Jesus’ feeding of multitudes, recording six times in the four Gospels. Judas' criticism of Mary calls to mind the disciples’ saying something like, “We have five loaves and two fishes, but what are they in the face of so many?” How often have you and I reacted to a challenge with that mindset of scarcity?
Jesus’ response—trust God’s abundance. What we have is more than enough in Jesus’ hands. Mary believed that and lavished the nard on Jesus. Mary Karr captures something of this theology of abundance in one of her poems, “The Grand Miracle.”
As to whether he multiplied
loaves and fishes, that's common enough.
Poke seed-corn in a hole and see if more corn
doesn't grow. Two fish in a pond
make more fishes. The altar of reason
supports such extravagance. (I don't even know
how electricity works, but put trust
in light switches.) And the prospect
of love cheers me up, as gospel.*
Mary Karr, from "The Grand Miracle,” Viper Rum. (New York: Penguin, 1998), pp. 18-19.
Collect of the Day, the Fifth Sunday in Lent
Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (BCP, 219)
Collect of Friday in the Fifth Week of Lent
O Lord, you relieve our necessity out of the abundance of your great riches: Grant that we may accept with joy the salvation you bestow, and manifest it to all the world by the quality of our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Weekday Eucharistic Propers, p. 44)
Today we celebrate the Feast of George A Selwyn, bishop of New Zealand and missionary (died 11 Apr 1878 CE).
Collect of the Feast of George A. Selwyn
Almighty and everlasting God, whose servant George Augustus Selwyn laid a firm foundation for the growth of your church in many nations: Raise up in this and every land evangelists and heralds of your kingdom, that your church may proclaim the unsearchable riches of our Lord Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Of the Holy Cross
Especially suitable for Fridays
Almighty God, whose beloved Son willingly endured the agony and shame of the cross for our redemption: Give us courage to take up our cross and follow him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (BCP, 253)
In the Evening
O Lord, support us all the day long, until the shadows lengthen, and the evening comes, and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done. Then in thy mercy, grant us a safe lodging, and a holy rest, and peace at the last. Amen. (BCP, 833)
A Collect for Mission
Merciful God, creator of all the peoples of the earth and lover of souls: Have compassion on all who do not know you as you are revealed in your Son Jesus Christ; let your Gospel be preached with grace and power to those who have not heard it; turn the hearts of those who resist it; and bring home to your fold those who have gone astray; that there may be one flock under one shepherd, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP, 280)
Daily Office Gospel, John 12:1-10
12:1Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 2There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. 3Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, 5‘Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?’ 6(He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) 7Jesus said, ‘Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. 8You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.’ 9When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well,
Daily Prayer Offices in The Book of Common Prayer
Morning Prayer, Rite 2, page 75, Book of Common Prayer
Noonday Prayer, p. 103, Book of Common Prayer
Order of Worship for Evening (Vespers), p. 109, Book of Common Prayer
Evening Prayer, Rite 2, page 115, Book of Common Prayer
Compline (Night Prayer), Page 127, Book of Common Prayer
Daily Devotionals, page 136, Book of Common Prayer
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