"'Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.'" (Matthew 26:10-13 NIV)
I know seven is the classic number of completion in the Bible, but God seems to accomplish a lot in threes, too.
Three members of the Trinity (a complete package if ever there was one).
Three crows of the rooster to confirm Peter's betrayal of Jesus.
Three repetitions of the question, "Do you love me?" to reinstate Peter.
Three days that changed everything: Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Resurrection Sunday.
And three times Mary of Bethany—sister of Martha and Lazarus—sat at Jesus' feet.
Once, she sat for instruction: "As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught" (Luke 10:38,39).
Once, she sat for comfort: "On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there. When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, 'Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.' When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 'Where have you laid him?' he asked. 'Come and see, Lord,' they replied. Jesus wept'" (John 11:17-19,31-35).
Once, she sat for service: "Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 'Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.' He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. 'Leave her alone,' Jesus replied. 'It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you,but you will not always have me'" (John 12:1-8).
Mary of Bethany learned from Jesus at His feet. She leaned on Jesus at His feet. And having received His gifts of instruction and comfort, she returned once more to love lavishly at His feet.
Three members of the Trinity (a complete package if ever there was one).
Three crows of the rooster to confirm Peter's betrayal of Jesus.
Three repetitions of the question, "Do you love me?" to reinstate Peter.
Three days that changed everything: Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Resurrection Sunday.
And three times Mary of Bethany—sister of Martha and Lazarus—sat at Jesus' feet.
Once, she sat for instruction: "As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught" (Luke 10:38,39).
Once, she sat for comfort: "On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there. When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, 'Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.' When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 'Where have you laid him?' he asked. 'Come and see, Lord,' they replied. Jesus wept'" (John 11:17-19,31-35).
Once, she sat for service: "Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 'Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.' He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. 'Leave her alone,' Jesus replied. 'It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you,but you will not always have me'" (John 12:1-8).
Mary of Bethany learned from Jesus at His feet. She leaned on Jesus at His feet. And having received His gifts of instruction and comfort, she returned once more to love lavishly at His feet.
All these centuries later, God's own words speak of His pleasure with this: "She has done a beautiful thing."
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Oh, God, prompt me to sit at your feet today. Let me receive instruction and comfort from You and return love back to you. Thank you that in You, all is beautifully complete.
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Oh, God, prompt me to sit at your feet today. Let me receive instruction and comfort from You and return love back to you. Thank you that in You, all is beautifully complete.
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I'd love to hear from you! Feel free to tell me what you really think. Years ago, I explained to my then-two-year-old that my appointment with a counselor was "sort of like going to a doctor who will help me be a better mommy." Without blinking, she replied, "You'd better go every day." All of which is just to say I've spent some time in the school of brutal honesty!