Anointing
One of my favorite stories in scripture is that of the woman who anoints Jesus. There is a story in all for Gospels about her--- though each of those stories are very different and may not even describe the same woman. Tonight, on this last night of Women's History Month, and in my Holy Week service at church this week, I am focusing on the story from Matthew 26:6-13.
Scholar Amy-Jill Levine writes that Lenten observances should start with a first supper, a celebration of the woman who anoints Jesus. After all, Jesus says, “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.”
I wanted us to remember her, but first, we have to remember Jesus. Jesus, after spending his days engaging in political action in the streets of Jerusalem and teaching in the Temple, was exhausted and perhaps even frightened, knowing there were those who sought to kill him. Bethany, a town only two miles from Jerusalem, was a place he could rest. This story takes place in the Gospel of Matthew right after the revelation of a plot to kill Jesus. Jesus himself proclaims that the woman, unnamed in this gospel, anoints him for burial. The week is getting heavier with the weight of what is to come.
Anointing was something done to bodies for burial, but it was also done to kings to mark them as chosen by God. This woman is a prophet in the tradition of Samuel, who anointed David as king. The word Christ or Messiah means anointed.
Anointing is also an act of care for the body. Soon, we will hear of how Jesus’ body will be broken and abused. Though we do not know the pain of crucifixion, many of us know what it is like to be broken or abused in other ways. In this story, a woman offers Jesus a moment of tenderness and care, allowing him peace and comfort in a time of great fear and anxiety.
We too need peace and comfort. We too need to care for our bodies. Take a moment and breathe in and out. If you have oil or lotion, put some on your hands or feet, on the dry spots of your skin. Feel your body, its heaviness on the earth, its solidness in the present moment. And know that from the beginning of your life to the end, you belong to God. Know that God has claimed you and loves you. Remember the woman who anointed Jesus. And remember the tender love of God that she embodied.
