2 Comments

  1. Daniel
    April 6, 2009 @ 10:12 am

    Thanks for sharing this passage this morning, David. I had never seen this much into these verses before.

    You mentioned something at prayer that you didn’t include here but had me thinking about all morning. You highlighted that this incident occurred while Jesus was at the home of Simon THE LEPER, a detail easily overlooked. This got me thinking:

    – Might the disciples have reacted differently (with less indignation) if this woman had performed the act NOT in the home of a social outcast BUT in the home of a wealthy individual? Or, in a royal court?

    – In examining the juxtaposition of Jesus spending the time to have dinner with a leper and the disciples reacting to money “wasted”, what might God be teaching me about doing good for the poor?

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  2. davidmartinhanke
    April 7, 2009 @ 7:39 am

    Great questions and insight Daniel. I see your reasoning– that something might seem reasonable if its for the wealthy and important. (It’s the way Bono can get away with his sunglasses and hair styles).

    Even more close to home, I am aware of the temptation to spend more time, or listen more attentively, or give more extravagantly to someone who seems ‘important’. Maybe the disciples didn’t think Jesus was that important! Why is she wasting this on him (as opposed to a ‘king’)? in the house of an outcast leper (as opposed to a palace)?

    The passage confronts all kinds of things in my heart. But I am still left with your question– how do we live so that we are regularly ‘doing good for the poor’? our church will head to WV this summer to do home repair for the poor. That’s good. I sense there is a deeper call in this.

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