Doug Van Pelt

Peter Wept

Mark 14 recounts the last hours of Jesus life before He was killed on a cross. Prior to the Last Supper, a woman came in with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on His head. When some of those present made protest about the cost of that perfume and how the money made from its sale could be given to the poor (more than a year's wages), but Jesus rebuked them. "She has done a beautiful thing to Me...I tell you the truth, wherever the Gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."

Wow. She did something awesome! Jesus affirmed her act of worship, and she seemed to be the only one that had been listening to Jesus. It was almost like he was repeating: "Hello! I'm going to be handed over and killed, but I will rise in three days." But no one besides this woman seemed to pick up on it.

During the trial of Jesus before the Sandedrin, He just stayed silent. I can't imagine the anguish He felt. "I am overwhelmed with sorrow, to the point of death," He told His disciples.

One time I read that passage and wept. I convulsed with tears, shaking, and just let it all hang out. Good thing I was alone in my apartment. I was just feeling sorrowful, but the confirmation that Jesus could indeed relate to my sorrow -- and even more so -- just melted me and comforted me. He is definitely a high priest Who can sympathize with our weaknesses. He's been in our shoes. He knows what we're going through. We are not alone.

There is some deep sorrow going in in the small town where I live outside of Austin. Every year Hutto, Texas has a celebration called "Olde Time Days," where booths are set up of crafts, businesses, food and drink. There's a parade, which my 7 year old daughter was in with her dance class. We watched the parade from the side of Hwy 79, which was coned off for about a mile for the parade route. Midway through the parade we saw and heard the fire truck and ambulance that were downtown speed off. We all thought, 'There must be a fire somewhere.'

Come to find out later that one of the floats had a precious 12-year old girl fall off and get killed. She died before she could reach the hospital. I remember seeing their float (it was filled with a bunch of junior high age girls for an organization of Future Leaders, who often volunteered and helped with childcare). The mother of that girl has helped out with the city and school, and is well known. I cannot imagine the suddenness with which their grief lept upon them. Her parents, I'm told, were up at the new middle school waiting for this float to stop and drop off the girls. So they must've been within sight of the accident and known something horrible had gone wrong. Apparently she stood up, fell, and was run over by the float's trailer. As a parent, it sends shivers down your whole body, knowing that it could have been your child. Grief is one of those things that it's good to share. Community is life and it's often not any more important than it is in a time like that. Families at their church are likely to do little things to support this family, like bring them meals for the next week or two, and maybe do some lawn care or even just sit there and keep them company. It doesn't matter who you are, what color your skin is, or how you dress -- when there is tragedy and it's time to grieve, community being family takes place. It crosses cultural barriers.

Posted by Doug Van Pelt at October 17, 2005 10:00 AM