What have you given up following Jesus? Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him. —Psalm 37:7

A company of friends gather around a table to feast. Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the grave, is hosting the feast. Martha busily serves Jesus and the disciples, possibly with food and wine. Mary pours out a costly bottle of nard on Jesus’ feet. Her act of devotion is the focal point of the tableau of friends.
Retellings of this Gospel story rightly focus on Mary’s sacrificial devotion and Jesus’ sharp rebuke of Judas. There is much we can learn from Mary’s devotion and Jesus’ wit, but I cannot help but draw your attention to the company of friends who surround the table – what do you notice Mary, Martha, and Lazarus doing? Henri Nouwen eruditely observes that hospitality is “the creation of free space where the stranger can enter and become a friend instead of an enemy.” Mary, Martha, and Lazarus create a free and spacious space for friendships to form and deepen.

The imported perfume was worth a year’s wages, and it was poured out on the feet of Jesus. Was it an obscene waste of valuable resources that could have been used to feed the poor? Or an orthodox preparation of a body for burial? How do we become responsible stewards knowing when to store up and when to pour out?

• What character in the story are you most drawn to?
  
• How might God be prompting you to take up the practice of hospitality?
  
• Where might you need to receive hospitality from God or others?
  
  Prayer: God of suffering and glory, in Jesus Christ you reveal the way of life through the path of obedience. Inscribe your law in our hearts, so that in life we may not stray from you but may be your people. Amen. (Pray without Ceasing, The A.C.C.)