Can we really know God’s will for us? How do we align our will with God’s will? We will discuss these and other questions as we continue our series “Seeking Wisdom.” We’ve already taken a look at the wisdom of King Solomon and considered that his wisdom was a gift from God, an overnight event that came in a dream. Then we moved to the story of a dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus, in which we contemplated the difference between knowledge and wisdom and recognized that wisdom was something that came to Nicodemus over the course of time. In this episode we come upon Mary as she scandalously anoints the feet of Jesus as a supreme act of love. Her Will to Love provides us with insight into another pathway to wisdom for ourselves. Please join the conversation and be sure to scroll down below the video to Comment, Share and Like it.
Was up early and so excited to see this email in my inbox.
Love the painting of Mary, love the story.
I have lived as Martha and desire to live as Mary.
Thanks for sharing.
Lucy so many of us have lived as Martha and have done a lot of good. As we grow older, we begin to see the opportunities and benefits of Mary’s way. A wise person learns both ways are needed in balance listening and action. Listening always first though. I am still learning the wisdom for the balance. It takes courage and patience both characteristics I seek. I wonder what other characteristics it takes to begin to strike that balance?
June 1 – This story speaks of the rare trust Jesus had for Mary. Jesus was a private, guarded person. I think he trusted that Mary would express affection and devotion but honor his boundaries. They had a very special bond born of trust. The picture expresses this. Thanks as always.
Thanks, Jane, for your insight on another characteristic between Mary and Jesus, trust. Trust is essential for any true relationship. I wonder what other wisdom characteristics that participants might have gleamed from the encounter of Mary and Jesus?
This story is very interesting. Thou I heard it before I still don’t understand the significance of what was happening. Mary may had be timid most of the time. But she search within herself to find the
the courage to trust JESUS that he would understand to what she wanted to do.
I agree with Jane they shared trust.
Mary showed him gratitude, respect, devotion and love.
Looking forward to the next episode.
I think that we are seeing in Mary what happens when wisdom has grown gradually in breadth and depth. She has been sitting quietly and listening for a long time now, letting Jesus’ words and actions sink into her and become part of her. Now she responds out of wisdom to whatever comes up – whether it be to questions that she is asked, comments that are made in her presence, or the movement of the Holy Spirit. The twelve disciples have been muddling around and have little clue as to the big picture. Mary has been listening deeply, so she knows that Jesus’ life on earth is coming to an end. Out of Mary’s wisdom comes a call to take action to prepare Jesus’ body for entombment, which is something that the women did; so she does. (I wonder what Martha thinks about Mary taking action.) I don’t think that Mary was being brave because I do not think that she was sufficiently aware of the other people in the room to require a need for bravery. Mary was not even sufficiently aware to handle logistics; otherwise, she would have brought a towel. All that Mary is thinking is that Jesus’ body deserved the ultimate care, so Mary picked up an incredibly costly container of perfume and walked over to Jesus to annoint him for his death. At the moment that Mary realizes that she needs something to dry Jesus’ feet, I do not think that anyone existed for her other than Jesus. Out of her great feeling of intimacy with Jesus that has developed over time, Mary loosens her hair and uses that to dry his feet.
Theresa, I love the light you shine on the power of careful listening, and a model of growth in wisdom over time. Like you, in watching this again, am wondering how Martha would be thinking…particularly as I have always identified more with her than Mary. Do others have some thoughts on this?
I think that the star in the background is appropriate because it marked the line between Jesus not being incarnate and him becoming incarnate. Now it marks the line between Jesus being incarnate and leaving the earth through death. The star also marks the existence of a plan. Jesus did not randomly appear on earth – there was a carefully laid out plan that included the star making an appearance. Jesus did not die at random – there was a carefully laid out plan as indicated by the star making its appearance. On a different level stars indicate light in the darkness. Jesus’ death is a very dark night, but there is still the light of the star. The star could represent the rest of the Trinity, watching and waiting eagerly for Jesus to come home to them.
Wow Theresa what a inspiring account in Mary thoughts and actions.
I grow up in the Catholic faith where the Nuns didn’t encourage us to question and in depth look in the big picture.
You help me understand more of the big picture.
Thanks for your comments it open up some thoughts I never knew or would of thought of.
Can’t wait for the next episode and what you can help me understand of wisdom.
God be with you 🙏
I am still catching up and listened to this one yesterday.
This was certainly not the first time that Jesus visited their home. He was friends with them, especially Lazarus, and would have visited them often. Upon entering, his feet would have been washed as was the custom. But just before this reading, the Gospel tells us that Jesus was headed to Jerusalem and knew he would be arrested when he got there. Surely he was tense when he arrived and Mary sensed this. So after washing his feet when he arrived as she normally might have done, she gave some additional comfort to ease the stress he was feeling, a healing gesture of compassion and love. That’s what I see on her face in the painting – love, compassion, and just being there for Jesus without demanding anything from him.