Monday Moodle #5
What a Mess
“It’s so beautiful; I must show you how it looks!” ~Vincent van Gogh~
What a Mess
A time-traveling satellite telescope hovers over a green-blue planet. We roam across continents and oceans until our telescope zooms in and turns years back until it fixes on an image of a small desert town about two thousand years ago.
Our view becomes clear; it focuses on a desperate woman on a dusty street. Her face is partially veiled, but through the windows of her eyes, you can tell she is beautiful yet complex, like an object on display in some public place.
Sun-bleached walls and stony buildings bear the softening lines of deep shadow lengthening in the fading light. The clamor of the day ebbed, and the scents of wood fires, roasted meat, and cinnamon reminded her, as if in a dream, of a life she wished she had.
Carefully, she crept past courtyards and unlocked doorways, each leading to talking, laughing families discussing the news as well as the woes and joys of the day’s events. She wondered what it would be like to be truly loved—to be a person and not an object, a partner and not a trophy. But there was no time to muse; she was on a mission.
She looked intently at an important-looking house. “He’s in there,” she thought as she walked around the front door to the back of the building, finding the service entrance. Straightening her clothing, she stood as upright as possible, cradled a beautifully decorated jar, and approached the door. Holding the jar a little forward, she told the porter she had a special delivery for the master of the house. Without question, she was led to a marvelously decorated dining room. And there He was, engaged in intense dialogue, reclining at the table with temple officials and influential leaders.
Immediately, she ran to Him, knelt by His bare feet, and opened the jar. At once, the space was infused with a rich fragrance, which made their heads swim with a sense of otherworldliness. As she tenderly anointed Jesus’s feet, all were astonished at her lavish use of the costly essence.
For an instant, her thoughts flitted to the time a year ago when Jesus and her eyes first met in a crowd. It was just a look, but she knew at that moment that He knew who she was, that she was accepted, that she—despite all her mistakes—was forgiven. Now her tears exploded, falling like salty rain on Jesus’ feet. “What a mess,” she said to herself and began to dry them with the only thing she could think of—her hair.
Thundering whispers broke the pin-drop silence. “If he knew the type of woman she was . . .” “If he were a prophet, he would condemn her on the spot.” “What a waste of good perfume; it could have been sold for a year’s wage and given to the poor.” The thoughtless murmurs rumbled over the reverent focus of the tender moment.
The soft, firm voice of Jesus’ voice spoke sense into the clamor: “Let her alone; she has done what she could . . .”
Ponderings:
“She has done what she could.” were His words. She was focused, insolent, unquestionably bold, and audacious, and she offered what she had to give and gave it in love. Maybe the perfume was an heirloom, perhaps a gift—possibly a first-century commodity investment. Who knows? But we know that she gave her best in the only way she could, and the Lord delighted in it and granted her timeless honor.
“Truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.” (Mark 14:9)
A question:
Remember a time when you did your best for God, but nobody noticed, or people criticized you for it; maybe you criticized yourself. What does Jesus say to you about that now? Feel free to comment if you’re moved. Others may have shared something similar.
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This has me thinking about many things. Primarily, every day I do my best as a public school teacher and a mom, and they are very thankless roles. But, then I think about my students - especially the multi-lingual learners - but just education in general and “grading” students’ performance. And I just think that grading really is not right at times because sometimes some kids and people can only do what they can, which might not meet the standard yet. But eventually with time they will grow and meet the standard and go beyond, as long as they just keep doing that little bit. So, your story here has touched me and got me thinking.
Thanks so much for your comment on the Moodle, "What a Mess." School teachers are my heroes. The day-after-day outpouring of love, behind-the-scenes toil, and relentless sacrifices make me think of how the reality of faith plays out today. I loved your sonnet on Hiking and Marriage. It reminds me of all the countless hours I've spent on the trails near my home. They are indeed a treasure.