Giving something up is a traditional practice of the season, but often we do not venture past giving up something like chocolate or wine. Perhaps God wants us to give up something more significant, and more importantly, perhaps God wants us to give up these things in order to make room for something better, more impactful… God’s steadfast love in Jesus Christ. So this Lent, let’s give up hubris for humility and greed for gratefulness. Throughout these 40 days, let’s give it up for Lent so our hearts can grow closer to Christ!
Giving up Scarcity for Extravagance
As we near the end of Lent, Jesus is nearing the cross. Mary of Bethany recognizes Jesus’ mission: he has come to die and rise as God’s Messiah. Perceiving the new thing God is doing, she embraces his life-giving death and pours out her devotion to Jesus in a lavish act. As prophets, kings, and priests were anointed throughout Israel’s history, so now, Mary anoints Jesus extravagantly with costly perfume. Judas, operating out of a scarcity mindset, objects and chastises her. Jesus, however, commends her. Mary’s extravagant use of the perfume foreshadows Jesus’ extravagant love for us on the cross and reminds us to let go of our own scarcity mindset in order to fully receive it.
image: Mary Kissing Jesus’ Foot by Gisele Bauche. Copyright © Gisele Bauche. All rights reserved. Used by permission of the artist.