Jn 12:1-11
1Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served, while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him. 3Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. 4Then Judas the Iscariot, one [of] his disciples, and the one who would betray him, said, 5“Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days’ wages and given to the poor?” 6He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief and held the money bag and used to steal the contributions. 7So Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Let her keep this for the day of my burial. 8You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”
9[The] large crowd of the Jews found out that he was there and came, not only because of Jesus, but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10And the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus too, 11because many of the Jews were turning away and believing in Jesus because of him.
You do not always have me. It is interesting to make a character study of the different people around Jesus. Judas is pretending to care for the poor when all he cares for is himself. The chief priests are already plotting to kill Jesus because of their insecurity. The crowd wants to see Jesus or Lazarus out of curiosity. Mary anoints Jesus’ feet to express her love for him. Martha is again busy with the food preparation. Only Jesus seems to enjoy the moment and always draws a lesson from every opportunity.
Life can be heavy or serious when we worry about so many things that we cannot enjoy the moment and draw the wonderful lessons life brings us.
How can you enjoy the moment, like Jesus? One, purify your intentions. What is your real intention for doing the things you are doing? Two, learn to leave things or people alone sometimes. Let them be. Three, appreciate the people and the blessings around you at the present moment. Learn to pause. “You do not always have me.”