This will be told
Vindicate me, O Lord, my God, according to your righteousness,
And do not let them rejoice over me. Psalm 35:24
Read Mark 14:3—9
This unknown woman, one of those noticed by Jesus, attracted by Jesus: we’ll be hearing about her as long as the Good News is preached. Known forever! She’s now part of my own faith story. Jesus has written her into my own life, as he said. She could have done something more sensible. More charitable. More moral, really. She could have done, especially, a more virtuous action. She’s not much into social justice. Socially she could have made a difference. I have to throw ethics, political correctness, and morality out the window to understand the cross. It’s foolish, truly.[1] This woman could have been marked out as an anonymous philanthropist. I’d not have heard of her, but she could have. Instead she was wasteful. And Jesus, in his focus upon himself, put a prophetic construction on her action: she prepared him for burial. What I take from this is — it’s not the only time it happens in the gospels — nothing, nothing at all is of greater significance than the death of the Son of God for all humanity. It directly concerns every human being. Every action that counts is evaluated in the light of it, and is actually drawn into this amazing action.
Oh Lord! Everything that has ever been done, not only by me, but any and every person, has been done by sinners and tainted by our own interest. You have drawn it all, along with this woman’s action, into yourself upon the cross to redeem sinners for the Father. May her action and your action be told for all time.
[1] 1 Corinthians 1:18