Wiping the Feet of Jesus

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

WIPING THE FEET OF JESUS

John 12:1-8

12:1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 "Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages." 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 "Leave her alone," Jesus replied. "[It was intended] that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me." 

NIV

A most interesting portion of this gospel is before us. First, the setting is in the home of Simon the Leper, as the other gospel accounts give us that detail which John leaves out. John does mention Lazarus and Martha and Mary as being there at this dinner which was given in Jesus’ honor. John does not forget to tell us that this is Lazarus whom Jesus raised from the dead. Here is a man who was once dead, now enjoying the joys of friendship and fellowship. What must he had felt like, having been dead and now reclining at the table with his friends? What, if any, memories did he have of death? We are not told in any of the accounts of Lazarus being raised from the dead of his recounting his experience while dead. We are aware of the four days after death belief of the Jews. This belief may have come from the Talmud as in Psalm 16:10 where it speaks of Jesus as the Holy One, and he states God will not abandon him to the grave or allow him to see decay. Jesus was resurrected on the third day, and thus his body had not started decay and according to Jewish belief his spirit had not yet abandoned his body, it hung around for three days. All the others that Jesus had raised from the dead had only been dead one day, but Lazarus had gone four full days, so both his body started decaying and his spirit had left and gone somewhere. But he says nothing of this time, or at least, we are not told of any of his testimony of being dead and now is alive. But there he was, reclining at the table with Jesus and his disciples. This account of Mary pouring perfume on Jesus is recorded in other accounts, but her name is not mentioned, some say she poured it on his feet, some say on his head. It matters not where she poured it, but the fact she wiped his feet with her hair may have significance. What devotion, what pure humility and worship of her Lord. According to the words of Jesus, this perfume was being kept for the day of his burial. It is surmised by some of our scholars that in fact, she did not pour all of the perfume, but some of it was saved for the intent of using in preparation for his burial. We have no actual facts to back that up, so we leave it as a supposition. What is important is that it was expensive, and she did not hold anything back in her worship of Jesus, after all, he had given her brother back to her, after he had been in the grave four days. Mary was a true worshipper of Jesus. This should give us some insight as to how we should approach our worship, holding nothing back, not being worried about what others would think or say. Look how she was almost scolded by Judas for using something so expensive on Jesus when it could have been more useful in other ways. Of course, Judas was always thinking about the money issue, being the keeper of the purse, which he dipped his own hand into on occasion. Money is not the issue here, true worship is. Giving it all, being fully humble, setting aside all pride and pouring out our soul and spirit on Jesus, wiping his feet with our praise.