Leave Her Alone

Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. They were looking for Jesus and were asking one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? Surely he will not come to the festival, will he?” Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who knew where Jesus was should let them know, so that they might arrest him.

Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.” John 11:55—12:8 

Leave Her Alone

Listen, she has a heart
she has been very hurt
taken advantage of by men
accused of every sin.

Still she gave her love
she saw the good in others
held tight to the little ones
weeping for the many losses.

She understood her weakness
honored others' brokenness
shared the little that she had
lived for giving to others.

She was seen as foolish
a fallen women less than
she was less than nothing
in their very jaded eyes.

Yet she will always be
remembered and honored
for lovingly giving tears
the anointment of love.