Mary

An Unforgettable Gift (Part One)

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And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. 
Mark 14:3 ESV

No one saw the miracle of Easter coming, least of all His closest friends. Yet all along the pathway of His final days on earth, our Savior left them clues as to what lay ahead. Most of our churches begin the Easter story with Palm Sunday, but I would suggest that His final journey began a few days earlier at a supper table with friends. While everyone was arriving, Martha began serving the delicious meal she had prepared, and her brother Lazarus sat next to Jesus, but Mary was nowhere to be found. When, she did appear in the doorway with an alabaster jar in her hand, most likely, no one noticed. The room echoed with the clanking of plates and the hubbub that fills the air at every celebration. Now, though few were aware of her at first, when she stood directly in front of Jesus and broke open the alabaster jar that held her treasure, they began to pay attention. As the scent of the powerful fragrance filled the room, Mary began pouring the perfumed oil over the head of Jesus in the manner of anointing that was reserved for the coronation of kings and the ordination of priests. Though no one understood what she was doing, Mary’s demonstration of love was so unforgettable that we are still talking about it today!

(Today’s reading is from One Unexpected Morning (See link below)

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Why Did God Choose Mary?

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In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. 
Luke 1:26-27 ESV

Now it should be no secret, that we Protestants, neither pray to Mary, nor seek her favors. But, in our zeal to be Biblically correct, we sadly simply skip over the life of the mother of Jesus entirely. Just think of all hundreds of thousands of women who were living in Israel. Why did God choose to come to Mary, and what lessons did He intend for us to learn from her?

Grace – And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Luke 1:30

     I can still remember, sitting on the floor around our teacher’s feet in kindergarten, and listening to her read the Christmas story from second chapter of Luke. Our little faces lit up with wonder as we listened to the story of shepherds, angels and a baby born in a manger. But the Bible’s account of Christmas actually began, not in Bethlehem, but in Nazareth. God sent the angel Gabriel to the small village of Nazareth, to tell Mary about His plan, and God chose Mary by His unmerited favor, which is what we call grace.

Impossibility ‘- And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin? Luke 1:34  

      On hearing the angel’s message, Mary, in a respectful manner, immediately points out something she thinks that the angel may have misunderstood. What He was telling her was impossible. I wonder if she blushed! “Mr. Angel, you might not know this but, I am still a virgin!” But God is not bothered by our impossibilities. In fact, He chooses us, not because of our achievements, but because of His plans.

Miracles – And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. Luke 1:35  

      Mary was God’s choice, first by grace, then because she was a virgin and last because she was the perfect person to show the world the miracle of Immanuel, “God with us.” She was the one with whom this was impossible. But our impossibilities are the perfect canvas upon which God may paint His miracles, and there was no greater miracle than God becoming man, living among us and then giving His life on the cross. Yes, Mary was not only the perfect choice, but she is the perfect example for every believer. We are His by grace. Our impossibilities are God’s opportunities, and there is no greater miracle than the life of Jesus being lived out in our hearts, day by day, to show the world our Christ!

Sometimes you just might stop to ask 

What God wants of you 

What kind of an important task 

Has He called you to do 



The Bible makes it very clear

 That God made us unique 

Just like eyes and nose appear 

Quite different from our feet 



We each by God's own loving grace 

Through faith and humble life 

Are given a way in His design

To show the world our Christ!

To Show the World Our Christ
by Peter Caligiuri
copyright 2023
All rights reserved

Three Mary’s Point to Easter – Part 2

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A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.
 John 12:2-3 NLT
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Mary of Bethany is perhaps my favorite to write about. Not that she is any more favored than the others, but she seems to be the least understood. Film directors have sometimes portrayed her as a prostitute or get her confused with Mary Magdalene (Our next lesson’s example). But Mary of Bethany was an entirely distinct person in the Bible. She was the sister of Martha and Lazarus. and though Martha does almost all the talking, it is possible that Mary was the oldest, since she is often mentioned first. It is interesting that in all her three of Mary’s meetings with Jesus, we find her at His feet.

When we first we see Mary, she is quietly listening at Jesus’ feet, while her sister is preparing food for the disciples. When Martha confronts Jesus about this and complains, Jesus surprises everyone by telling them that Mary has chosen the better part, and no one will be allowed to take it away. (Luke 10:42). The second time we encounter this special lady, she is weeping at the feet of Jesus after the death of her brother Lazarus. Though she says the same words that her sister Martha did, “If you would have been here my brother would not have died”, her posture shows us something more. She has not forgotten that even in sorrow, the best place to be is still at the feet of Jesus. Last of all at the celebration banquet that is held after Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead we come to today’s verse. Again, Martha is busy serving everyone, Lazarus is holding the place of honor right next to Jesus, but in the middle of all the banging of plates and the table conversations, Mary silently slips away. When she returns, she is carrying a small alabaster flask containing an incredibly expensive perfumed oil. While everyone is talking, she quietly comes up behind Jesus, breaks open her flask and pours it on His head. Suddenly people grow silent, as the beautiful aroma fills the room. You might have thought someone would have exclaimed, “Wow! What a great thing to do for Jesus!”, but that was not the case. Instead, led by Judas Iscariot, all the disciples begin to protest that this should have been sold and the money given to the poor. We learn in Mathew’s gospel that; Mary also anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped them with her hair. I picture this as coming right after the critical whispers begin. But the wonderful thing about Mary, is that she simply keeps on pouring out her gift till every drop is lavished on Jesus! Now if I had been in Mary’s place, I would have lost my temper. (Yes, I still have one!) I would have spun around shouting, “You Bozos! Haven’t you even been listening to what Jesus has been saying? He is going to Jerusalem and there he will be killed. You are all just a bunch of selfish jerks!!!!” But Mary didn’t do that. Instead, she simply trusted Jesus to answer, and his response still rings in the air today.

She has poured this perfume on me to prepare my body for burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.”
Matthew 26:12-13 NLT

Mary, the mother of Jesus, by her faithful obedience and loving sacrifice brought Jesus into this world, Mary of Bethany now anoints His body for burial and prepares Him for the cross.