Strange Juxtaposition

Scripture

But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? She has performed a good service for me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. By pouring this ointment on my body she has prepared me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.” Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I betray him to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.”  (Mathew 26:10-16 NRSV) 

Strange Juxtaposition

Some things belong beside one another in the same picture. Ice cream and chocolate cookies, bacon and eggs, a waterfall and the rainbow spray, a mother and freshly swaddled infant … and you can make your own list because your creativity is likely freer than mine. 

But some juxtapositions jar violently, they don’t belong in the same picture let alone follow one another in a narrative. The writer of Matthew’s gospel didn’t get this. He tells the story of a woman whose generous, emotional, sensual anointing of Jesus with expensive perfume scandalized the room. Immediately his editorial idea is to tell Judas’ story of betrayal. 

“What’s it worth to you for me to betray Jesus to you?” he asks those plotting against Jesus’. The price was 30 silver coins – Judas’ name and the 30 pieces of silver have become symbols the world over of betrayal, and betrayal for cash not any principle. Judas is sometimes identified as the critic, saying the woman shouldn’t have been so wasteful and yet perhaps, he sold his soul for less than she spent on the perfume. 

Her generous act of love has indeed been remembered for all these centuries and admired by us all as a model for spontaneous expressions of love for God. She may have been named Mary; Matthew’s account doesn’t say but we do know the name identified with betrayal. When we hope for life’s legacy it seems doing crazy generous things for love far outweighs calculated self -interest. 

A Prayer for Today

Merciful God, our names are important to us and we hold the names of many as treasured places to focus admiration and emulation. In our world that promotes self-curated pictures of our lives help us to find an authentic honesty which feeds us to love you and serve others. Preserve us from our bent to self-interest and move us toward crazy generosity …. For Jesus’ sake