Spotting the bent over woman
dressed in layers of coats so thick
he finds it hard to tell where she
begins and the protective layers end.
Without thinking he takes the
last three dollars from his wallet
and places them in her weathered hands.
She pauses from scavenging to receive the gift.
From dumpster to dumpster she
she finds valuable aluminum cans
to be added to the stash in the
big old car she calls home at this time.
Fresh from the ATM, the man now offers
a twenty and is drawn to her oddly
youthful face and smile. “Are you
sure you want to give it to me?”
“Yes, I am sure,” expresses the kind one.
In the face of the woman at
collecting cans, a reminder of Mary
is revealed. He is very blessed
to have received, through the holy encounter
with one who is the essence of goodness.
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Forecast: An Emotional Holy Week
Holy Week is always permeated with emotional highs and lows. In contrast to Palm Sunday 2020, the 2021 service seemed especially joyful and energetic! Throughout worship, joyful shouts of “Hosanna” were heard, and palms were waved in gratitude to Jesus, the Messiah. People were dancing, swaying, and smiling!
2,000 years ago, Jesus was incarnated into the flesh of a human and he understood physical needs. Receiving, and later giving that love, was Mary with the oil. Veiling her love for Jesus never occurred to this Mary, as she anointed the feet of Jesus with costly nard that upset some of the disciples because it could have been used to feed the poor. Yet her legacy is glistening with love for Jesus!
Who of us wouldn’t be inclined to anoint Jesus after participating in Maundy Thursday services? Perhaps you feel a wave of emotion when recalling the washing and drying of your hands by a loving servant. It’s an effective way to reenact Jesus washing the feet of the disciples without the difficulty of removing socks and shoes! Neither servant leaves anyone out; and who would want to miss out on the demonstration and the mandate to “love one another as I have loved you.” This is one of the times we don’t want to plea like the disciple Peter, “Not me, Lord! Not me!”
Therefore, who of us wouldn’t be inclined to anoint Jesus after celebrating the Lord’s supper and being overcome with God’s grace and love? Whether gathered in a group of two or three around a bedside, or in a sanctuary with hundreds of hands open to receive the gift, Christ’s Living Spirit is received. The love that Jesus demonstrated for his friends at that shared Passover Meal is known today through the love of people in our lives that fully embrace us.
Finally, we are grateful for the women who anointed the body of Jesus after standing by him and observing his physical death on the cross. Through amazing and powerful love, God is in solidarity with all of us in our human afflictions and suffering. For Christians, the cross is not a sign of defeat but points to God’s everlasting love for all of humanity.
As we journey together through this Holy Week, may you feel anointed, washed, fed, and forgiven. We pray for God’s blessings of experiencing the life of Jesus the Christ in astonishing ways.
Rev. Marta Wheeler