Mark 14:7 She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for its burial
Read Mark 14:
By now you must know that Mark’s gospel is much more action and much less talk. But even in Mark, there is more detail about Jesus’ crucifixion than about any other aspect of his life. Mark seems to say, “Look at this woman! She understands that I have come to die while you seem to be clueless.” The demand of the mind and the heart is to feel some of the urgency of what is happening. This is a matter of life or death whether Jesus goes to die on Friday. He shares a last meal with his friends. He goes out to pray and his disciples fall asleep. “Could you not one hour? But now the Son of man is betrayed.”
When Jesus is arrested he is taken to the spiritual authorities of Israel who act like a kangaroo court. They have conflicting testimony but still Jesus is condemned. It could not have ended any other way. While Jesus faces his accusers inside, Peter is outside and denies that he knows Jesus. The cock crows as if on command and Peter stands condemned for his lack of faith. Jesus had warned Peter, you have set your mind on earthly things, not on heavenly things.
That is the challenge of Lent. Giving up chocolate is one thing but giving up the idea that you need chocolate instead of prayer is a bigger thing. Our time of scripture study and prayer are focused to let us see that more than anything else, we need God’s mercy and grace. We have to give up the earthly notion that “I can do it myself.”
Can you change your way of thinking? Probably not. Most of us don’t want to change. But with the guidance of the Holy Spirit we can see the Father come running to receive and welcome us into his Kingdom. The flip side of the cross of Jesus is the promise of new life. He will make us alive forevermore.
Pray for David for cancer. Amen 
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