Description
A complete act of worship based around the woman who poured perfume over the feet of Jesus. Includes hymns and specially written prayers, meditation and dramatic readings.
(A slightly amended version for Monday of Holy Week - Click Here)
Hymn - My song is love unknown (Samuel Crossman)
Prayers
Reading - John 12.1-8
Song - Said Judas to Mary - (Sidney Carter)
(including pouring the perfume)
Reading Mark 14.1-9
Dramatic readings -
Simon the leper
"What she has done will never be forgotten!"
He's right there!
I won't forget it for a start.
This was my feast in honour of Jesus and I was determined that everything should go right for him.
The week had started well, when Jesus rode in that triumphal procession right into the heart of Jerusalem - the crowds were certainly behind him then. But during the week things started to look rather ugly and you could tell that the authorities were getting more and more angry with what Jesus was doing. He didn't help himself very much with that incident in the Temple either. I mean, what possessed him to stride around with a whip in his hand, turning over tables and scattering the tables and the money and the animals? He did manage to get away before the Temple police turned up, but it was a near thing, and there was no way that the incident could be kept quiet. We just had to trust that he would manage to keep one step ahead of the authorities and then get out of Jerusalem quickly after the Passover feast.
The next thing I heard was that Jesus was in a very sombre mood and couldn't seem to stop talking about his death and the end of the world. His close friends were very worried about it, especially as they'd tried to persuade him not to come to Jerusalem in the first place - it was far too dangerous.
But he didn't seem to want to listen to good advice, so that was when I got the idea of holding a party at my house. Jesus always enjoyed a good get-together with his friends and I owed him a lot since he'd cured me.
Why do you think they call me Simon the leper?
I've been fully fit for some time now, but I think some people still call me that to remind them not to get too close, just in case the healing isn't permanent.
So I made my plans, ordered the food and issued the invitations and I was thrilled when Jesus sent a message that he would be happy to come.
Perhaps it might help to take his mind off things for a while - and the authorities wouldn't want to risk looking for him in my house, because they didn't want to acknowledge that Jesus was capable of curing lepers!
Everything seemed to be going well at the start of the evening and the conversation was certainly flowing freely. That was probably why we didn't notice the woman at first - in fact I didn't really see her at all until I heard the neck of a jar snap and turned to see who had broken something. Then the smell of the perfume hit me. It was beautiful, yes, but it was also so overpowering, because I was sitting so close to Jesus. I'm not very good with scents, but my wife told me later that this was the most expensive perfume you can buy - usually only used by royalty - or priests, I suppose.
But what really sickened me was the shameless way this woman was touching Jesus - rubbing the oil into his feet and then, horror of horrors, drying them with her long hair! I was so ashamed that a thing like that could happen to a guest of mine in my house.
Thankfully, Jesus took it all in his stride and told everyone not to fuss about it. I was full of apologies, but he said that wasn't necessary - and then he said something very odd. He said that the woman was preparing his body for burial.
So much for my trying to lift his spirits! One strange gesture from a shameless woman and he goes back to talking about death again.
But he's right about one thing - what that woman did will never be forgotten by me!
Judas
"What she has done will never be forgotten!"
He's absolutely right!
But not in the way he thinks!
I won't forget it! And I'm now totally convinced that he is never going to go about bringing in the kingdom in the right way.
When I first met Jesus, I really believed that he would be the one who could overthrow the Romans and be the deliverer of the Jews.
He had such charisma, such appeal - and such conviction. He talked about the kingdom and setting people free and at the beginning of this very week he had the whole crowd with him. They were shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father, David!" And none of the authorities dared to move against him because there were so many people crowding round him that it would have caused a riot.
So, if he was happy to hear people shouting about 'the kingdom of David', then surely it meant that this was the time to start to make a real move on the Romans. After all, he had the people of the whole city in the palm of his hand. What better time to start the uprising?
But, of course, he missed his chance. I thought there were signs when he caused that riot in the Temple court with the money-changers, but he didn't take it any further - and then he started talking about death again - but about his own death, not that of the Romans!
I've been getting more and more irritated with him and tonight's episode was the last straw. Fancy praising a woman for wasting all that money pouring horrendously expensive perfume all over his feet!
I was furious! While I'm trying to get him to take positive action to restore the kingdom to Israel, he sits there letting a woman waste money by fussing all over him!
I protested, of course, but it was useless - he even told me off because I tried to pull her off him and throw her out of the house. And he told me not to get so angry about the waste of money!
Ha! Him! With never two coins to rub together - telling me not to worry about money being wasted! It's just as well that I've been the keeper of the purse all this time. Neither him, nor his followers would have been able to eat if it hadn't been for me looking after them. And he'd always made sure we had something to give to the poor, as we should - couldn't he see the logic of my argument about the perfume?
But, no! This gesture was apparently very special. He said it was an anointing before his burial.
But how will he feel if death is really staring him in the face? That might concentrate his mind on taking some positive action about this new kingdom.
I don't want him to die, but I really believe that there's only one way to make him face up to reality. Once the authorities get their hands on him, he will have to do something.
And, after tonight, I think that's the only answer.
He's right! What that woman did will have repercussions. I can't let him carry on the way he's going! It's time to take action!
The woman - or Mary!
"What she has done will never be forgotten!"
Did he really mean that? ...
Continues,,,