In Bethany, a few days before the cross, Jesus sits at the table with friends who had already experienced His power and love up close: Lazarus, who had been dead and now lived; Martha, who served with dedication; and Mary, who poured herself out in worship. John records that Mary takes a pure nard ointment, of the highest value, and pours it on Jesus' feet, wiping them with her own hair, in a scene of profound surrender and reverence.
What Mary offers is not something common or unimportant, but precisely what she possessed that was most dear and significant. She does not negotiate, does not calculate, does not keep a part for herself, nor does she try to balance her devotion with the preservation of her belongings. Her gesture is total, without reservations, as if she were saying, with actions and not just words, that Jesus is worth more than any earthly treasure.
In human eyes, that attitude sounds exaggerated, even reckless. There are those who look and think it is wasteful, lacking common sense, excessive emotion. However, when considering who is sitting at the table — the Son of God, the Lord of life, the one who resurrected Lazarus and who will walk, in a few days, toward the cross — Mary's gesture reveals itself to be profoundly coherent with the incomparable value of Christ.
In Bethany, we learn that those who truly recognize who Jesus is do not spare efforts in their surrender. True worship does not arise from calculating what we want to keep in our hands, but from the revelation of the supreme value of Jesus in our hearts. The more we see Him as He truly is, the less resistance we have in surrendering, and the more natural it becomes to consecrate to Him what we hold most precious.