2025-04-06 John 12:1–8 The Woman's Faith: Not My Will, But Your Will Be Done

The context of this incident is as follows. It happened just before Jesus entered Jerusalem, when He visited the home of Lazarus—the man who had died and been brought back to life. But then, something shocking occurred there. Mary, Lazarus’s sister, brought an extremely expensive pint of pure nard perfume and poured it generously on Jesus’ feet, wiping them with her hair. The cost of that perfume was equivalent to a year’s wages for a laborer. Those who witnessed this scene must have been deeply disturbed. Almost immediately, one of the disciples criticized Mary’s actions. And if you listen to what he said, he wasn’t entirely wrong—he questioned why such a valuable thing was wasted instead of being sold to help the poor. Though the Gospel specifically names one disciple as the critic, he may have been speaking on behalf of most people present there. Except for one woman (Mary), everyone else in that room seemed preoccupied only with the monetary value of the perfume and the regret over "wasting" such an expensive thing on washing feet. Indeed, relationships in this world often become exhausting and difficult precisely because people’s words rarely align with their true thoughts and intentions. If you’ve worked in business or corporate life, you’ve likely encountered such individuals—those who care only about maximizing their own profit and comfort, with little regard for others. Too many are filled with greed and resentment in their hearts, yet their mouths speak only of fairness and justice. When you think about it, isn’t this same mindset also behind the escalating trade wars we see today? But even within a faith community—where people are supposed to be living new lives through God's grace—there were still people like this. They spoke holy words, but their hearts were full of pride and attachment to material things. Just look: what was the only thing this so-called disciple of Jesus seemed to care about? The passage is kind enough to spell out exactly what he was thinking in his heart. Outwardly, with his words, he sounded like someone who cared deeply for the poor and wanted to follow God’s word. But in reality, his mind was calculating how he could use the situation to enrich himself. His heart wasn’t focused on Jesus—it was focused entirely on money. In contrast, I believe Mary’s heart and mind were set on Jesus. Her actions were shaped by what she had heard Jesus say, and she was thinking, “What can I do now to help make his words come true?” So then, why do you think Mary did what she did? At first glance, we might say it was out of gratitude for what Jesus had done for her brother. But I don’t believe that was the real reason behind her actions. For Mary, Jesus was the most precious person in her life. And when something or someone is truly precious to us, we don’t put a price tag on it. We can’t. To Mary, Jesus was worth more than anything else in the world. That’s why she used her most expensive possession to prepare him for the path he was about to walk. Fundamentally, At the heart of Mary’s action was a deep desire to prepare Jesus for the path and the mission he was about to fulfill. Jesus had told his disciples time and again why he was going to Jerusalem and what would happen to him there. But every time he spoke of it, the disciples either resisted the idea or failed to truly listen. They simply could not imagine a suffering, dying Messiah. That wasn’t the ending they had envisioned. To them, such a fate would have meant the failure of everything they had committed their lives to. It was something they couldn’t accept. But Mary was different. She took Jesus at his word. She listened carefully and believed that what he said would truly come to pass. And so, as he prepared to enter Jerusalem, she asked herself: What does Jesus need most right now? What can I do for him, in this moment? Her anointing was not just a beautiful gesture. She believed his words and prepared him for what was to come. That doesn’t mean she didn’t love Jesus. In fact, she loved him more deeply than anyone else. Because she truly loved him, she wanted what he desired to be fulfilled. At a time of celebration, she alone wept quietly and prepared the way for Jesus—because she understood and accepted what was coming. She was the one who didn’t insist on her own way, but accepted Jesus as her Lord and Saviour, confessing with her life: “Not my will, but yours be done.” The true disciple that day wasn’t one of the twelve. It was this woman—Mary—who trusted, believed, and acted in line with Jesus’ purpose. However, the challenge in living a life like Mary’s in our reality is that Jesus is no longer physically present here with us. So, it’s easy for our love for Jesus to become just empty words. But we do know the life Jesus lived. We know how much He loved people, especially those who were socially condemned or treated as sinners—how He reached out to the refugees, wandering like sheep without a shepherd, to those without power or wealth, the weak and small. We know Jesus said that whatever we do for the least of these, we do for Him. Now, let us think again about what we can do to fulfill Jesus' words. Even now, there are still the poor, those in need of help in the world. They continue to need the assistance of the “good people.” And all of us say that we love Jesus. We can show how much we love Him through how we serve them. True faith is living like Mary, confessing and acting with the belief that everything will unfold not according to our will, but according to the Lord’s will. “Not my will, but Your will be done...” These were also the final words of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. This prayer speaks of the life Jesus lived. It is also the prayer of Mary’s life. Mary did not merely speak; she acted. She dedicated herself, desiring that Jesus’ will be done, through the things she could actually do. Now, may we, too, until our strength is spent, seek God’s will and find ways to do what we can in our circumstances.