Love and Forgiveness
Six days before the
Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the
dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of
those at the table with him. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure
nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled
with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples
(the one who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this perfume not sold for
three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” (He said this not
because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common
purse and used to steal what was put into it.) Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She
bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have
the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”
John 12:1-8
Christ in the House of Mary and Martha *
VERMEER, Jan
1650
http://www.essentialvermeer.com/catalogue/christ_in_the_house_of_mary_and_martha.html
A wise man will make haste to forgive,
because he knows the true value of time,
and will not suffer it to pass away in unnecessary pain.
~ Samuel Johnson
I have always found that
mercy bears richer
fruits than strict justice.
~ Abraham Lincoln
Colorado Clay Exhibit
Foothills Art Center
Golden, Colorado
Contemporary ceramics by fourteen Colorado artists
Nancy and Sharon admiring a sculpture made with fiber clay.
By Adrian Arleo, the juror.
Ms. Arleo is a studio artist living in Lolo, Montana.
She studied Art and Anthropology at Pitzer College, and received her MFA in Ceramics from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1986.
Jeanne and Vicki at Union 420.
Vicki treated us to a wonderful lunch on Tuesday!
Bryce had his guests paint at his big 5th birthday party
and he brought his painting to share with us on Wednesday morning!
Our Book Club met at Audrey’s doggies’ home.
Sharron, Jeanne, Linda
Friday morning drive to Rotary!!!
Man is the best computer we can put aboard a spacecraft
and the only one that can be mass produced with unskilled labor.
~ Wernher von Braun
March 21, 2010 Fifth Sunday in Lent
Previous OPQs may be found at:
http://www.dotjack.com/opq.htm
* The Painting’s Story:
Mary and Martha are the most familiar set of sisters in the Bible. Both Luke and John describe them as friends of Jesus. Luke's story, though only four verses long, has been a cause of interpretation and debate for centuries.
Preaching to the people, Jesus Christ arrived in Bethany. This town is situated not far from Jerusalem beyond the Mount of Olives where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:38-42).
This subject was more popular among Flemish artists than Dutch, possibly owing to the religious connotations of the story which formed the basis of several representations from the mid-16th century onwards. In the religious context of the time, the scene illustrated one of the fundamental differences opposing Catholics and Protestants. The latter sought salvation in action while the former placed greater value on the contemplative life.
SEE http://www.essentialvermeer.com/catalogue/christ_in_the_house_of_mary_and_martha.html for an interactive examination of the painting!
Agnus Day, by James Wetzstein
Agnus Day appears with the permission of www.agnusday.org
Isaiah
43:16-21
Psalm 126
Philippians
3:4b-14
John 12:1-8