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Prophetic Endurance

Spikenard Oil


There was a woman in that town who had lived a sinful life. She learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house. So she came there with a special jar of perfume. She stood behind Jesus and cried at his feet. And she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair. She kissed them and poured perfume on them.

The Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this. He said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him. He would know what kind of woman she is. She is a sinner!”

Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Tell me, teacher,” he said.

“Two people owed money to a certain lender. One owed him 500 silver coins. The other owed him 50 silver coins. Neither of them had the money to pay him back. So he let them go without paying. Which of them will love him more?”

Simon replied, “I suppose the one who owed the most money.”

“You are right,” Jesus said.

Then he turned toward the woman. He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water to wash my feet. But she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss. But this woman has not stopped kissing my feet since I came in. You did not put any olive oil on my head. But she has poured this perfume on my feet. So I tell you this. Her many sins have been forgiven. She has shown that she understands this by her great acts of love. But whoever has been forgiven only a little loves only a little.”

Luke 7:37-47 (NIV)


What is the oil that was poured out on Jesus as anointing oil? One woman who poured it out at such expense was criticized by Judas Iscariot. The oil of Nard, or Spikenard, in Biblical days was very costly. I once bought four bottles of Spikenard oil from Young Living, which is from the series Twelve Oils of the Holy Land and gave them to four churches. It is interesting to see people's response to something they have only read about in the Bible. They can then smell the oil and see how fragrant and costly it was.

The Poor Clare Sisters who are nuns that originated in Europe, and now have convents in Canada, particularly here in Mission, say on their website: 

"Our prayer must be pure and powerful, so we live an enclosed life and are, in a physical sense, separated from the world, but, in a spiritual sense, more deeply united with all people in their joys and sufferings. Clare, in the austerity of her cloistered solitude, . . . broke the alabaster jar of her body, . . . and the whole Church was thoroughly imbued with the aroma of her sanctity."

We expect the church be fragrant to the Lord, but it is described as this medieval saint who is broken and poured out. Saint Clare lived at the same time as Saint Francis in Assisi. She enclosed herself in the church and founded a convent based on the acceptance of poverty as a way of life.

On the blog, The White Chamber (by Emily Isaacson), it says:

"The Poor Clare nuns are famous for teaching the art of lace-making in Ireland to women so they could support themselves. The lace is called Kenmare Lace, and has been featured in Victoria Magazine.

"In the modern world, St. Clare and St. Francis are like two prophets who speak only in the spirit world. Their conversations are like prophetic oil. They both had significant influence in human history, and their vision impacts other Catholics."

We now see the two halves of the church, the Catholic and the Protestant, in the end, united in communion. Whereas the Middle Ages saw the division of the Anglicans (Protestants) from Catholicism, now we see the Queen, the head of the Church of England, and the Pope, playing a significant symbolic role in bringing about unity of believers. There is a beauty in this, saints.


References:

https://thewhitechamber.wordpress.com/poet-of-st-clare/

http://poorclare.org/mission/pagefour.html


 

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Prophetic Moments

Waiting for Jesus.

Listening to the Holy Spirit.

Urged to act by power not our own.

Worshipful Postures

Hold your hands out.

Keep your candle lit.  

Worship every day.

Pray for others. 

 

 

 

Quiet Time With Sea