Or, what about, “Are you serious, Jesus?” Those phrases are not legit, right? A Christ-follower isn’t supposed to say those things; after all they are Jesus-challenges. They pretty much mean, “I don’t agree with you.”
That alabaster jar
The beginning of Mark 14 telescopes us into a peculiar set of collisions: Mary, Christ, men, me. The centerpiece of the collision was Mary’s soft-stone jar and its fragrant oils. At some point Mary poured it on the head of the reclining Christ. Bam! That lit up the disciples, “Come on! What are you thinking, Mary?” The disciples scoffed and belittled Mary.
Curiosity over their traditions, the things said, the interpersonal squabble build out my impressions up unto this point. Then, though, Jesus piped up saying Mary did this to prepare him for his burial and then I get annoyed at Christ. “Seriously?!” fire off my automatic reactions. How can Jesus say that Mary was doing this as part of an embalming process? Probably (though not assuredly) she was not even thinking about his coming death much less the need for a burial! Good, Lane, good. Go all skeptical on Christ. Well, I don’t usually spout off about things I disagree with God over. Job tried that…didn’t work out too well for him. Still, though, a quiet humph generally settles around this passage.
Then I came across an explanation in A.B. Bruce’s Training of the Twelve1 who pointed out the generosity of Christ. Here was Mary giving what plausibly was her most valuable possession in an act of extravagant honor. Jesus on the brink of the same kind of act identified with her spirit. Once that linkage was connected Jesus imputed to her something beyond her conceptions. Her spirit and her actions could easily have helped to prepare him as he propelled himself toward his burial. Perhaps the thought came to him, “I give myself that this spirit might infuse the world.”
Good inflation
We think much of (bad) inflation in first half of 2022. What if we took this word and applied it to the deeds of others. Might we inflate the deeds of others to good ends? It is very, very natural to see another do this or that and from there to pronounce in the style of the disciples: skeptical, judgmental, presumptuous. Wouldn’t we better serve the world and Christ if we sought to inflate the half-stories, half-information we garner about things around us toward positive ends rather than negative? Sure, we must be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves, but that expression touts wisdom and innocence. Jesus was very good at this. With the help of his Spirit we can as well.