April 3, Lent 5C (John 12:1-8)
Were Mary and Martha at the Last Supper? It’s possible.
Imagine this drama: Mary and Martha host a meal in their home. It is a few days before Passover, and the Teacher, Jesus, is the sisters’ special guest. He has just raised their brother from the dead, which has drawn the attention of the authorities. They know his life is in danger. There may not be many more meals together.
The evening begins. Martha serves. Mary comes to the table with a pound of expensive nard. She anoints her Teacher’s feet, washing them as a guest’s but with burial balm as if for a dead or dying man.
One of the guests is especially edgy. It turns out that the devil has entered Judas’s heart. He criticizes Mary’s use of the nard and feigns interest in the poor, knowing all the while he is going to betray his Teacher to the authorities.
