the direction of Nain’s south gate. Breathing heavily, he said, “You must not travel through Samaria alone. Bandits roam the passes.”
She shot him an angry glance. “I can protect myself.”
He glimpsed her stormy dark eyes and wondered if she felt about Jesus the way he did about Judith. “I, too, was shocked at what that woman did to Jesus. I’m trying to understand why he let her anoint him.”
Mary Magdalene spoke impatiently. “What is there to understand? No respectable man allows a prostitute to kiss his feet.” She paused, shook her head and then started walking again. “He told me that he loved me. If this is what he thinks love is, I want no part of it.”
Gabriel strained to keep up. “What are you saying?”
“What do you call it when a man shares his heart with you, and tells you that he loves you, and then allows a prostitute to anoint him in public? I call it betrayal.” Her last words dissolved into muffled sobs.
Gabriel reached out to touch her hand, but she glared and pulled away. He raised his voice. “I, too, have known betrayal. My betrothed ran away with my brother.” She turned and met his gaze as he went on. “I came here looking for solace, but like you, I found disappointment. If you wait until I bring Nicodemus, we’ll accompany you through Samaria.”
“No, I can’t wait.” Her eyes bore into his, glinting with resolve. “If you really know how betrayal feels, you will understand.” Mary began to run and yelled over her shoulder, “I must go to Jerusalem and forget that I ever knew Jesus.”
Gabriel realized what he must do—he could not let her travel alone. He turned to run back for Nicodemus. When he reached the people standing outside the house, he found Nicodemus holding a scroll and talking with some of the women. The Pharisee was defending Jesus, saying, “He came to teach us that true religion is not about following the law or being good; it’s about loving God and one another. That’s why he allowed the prostitute to anoint him. He was acting out one of his parables.” Nicodemus saw Gabriel and waved. “I’m glad you didn’t leave without me,” he said, moving toward him. “Jesus wanted to speak with me before I left.” Nicodemus kept his voice low and held up the scroll. “He gave me this for Mary Magdalene.”
“What is it?”
“A letter he wrote her. He said he addressed it to Mary, but that the letter contains a message for all people. She ran out before he could give it to her. He wants me to tell Mary that he knows she is angry, but that once she reads the letter, she will understand everything.”
“We must go now and quickly,” Gabriel said, nudging him. “Mary Magdalene has already left, and we must not let her travel alone. Besides, we have important matters to discuss with her.”
“More important than you realize,” Nicodemus said, putting the scroll in his bag.
Gabriel urged him forward. “After what happened here, I was confused. Now I’m also intrigued.”
Nicodemus picked up the bag and put his free arm around Gabriel as they began to walk. “There’s much that you do not understand about Jesus, my son. He offered that sinful woman grace—our free and complete acceptance by God. We can’t earn God’s love. Our best deeds can’t make us worthy of it, nor can our worst deeds deprive us of this love. Grace means that God totally accepts us, no matter what we do or fail to do. Jesus has come to lavish this miraculous gift on us, to offer us forgiveness, and to lead us to life abundant and eternal. What better way to demonstrate grace than to show compassion to a prostitute?”
Gabriel hurried the older man along. “But look at the price he paid. He offended many of his friends—even the woman he claims to love.”
Nicodemus strained to keep pace. “Gabriel, you do not understand how radical Jesus is. He cares little about social or religious
She shot him an angry glance. “I can protect myself.”
He glimpsed her stormy dark eyes and wondered if she felt about Jesus the way he did about Judith. “I, too, was shocked at what that woman did to Jesus. I’m trying to understand why he let her anoint him.”
Mary Magdalene spoke impatiently. “What is there to understand? No respectable man allows a prostitute to kiss his feet.” She paused, shook her head and then started walking again. “He told me that he loved me. If this is what he thinks love is, I want no part of it.”
Gabriel strained to keep up. “What are you saying?”
“What do you call it when a man shares his heart with you, and tells you that he loves you, and then allows a prostitute to anoint him in public? I call it betrayal.” Her last words dissolved into muffled sobs.
Gabriel reached out to touch her hand, but she glared and pulled away. He raised his voice. “I, too, have known betrayal. My betrothed ran away with my brother.” She turned and met his gaze as he went on. “I came here looking for solace, but like you, I found disappointment. If you wait until I bring Nicodemus, we’ll accompany you through Samaria.”
“No, I can’t wait.” Her eyes bore into his, glinting with resolve. “If you really know how betrayal feels, you will understand.” Mary began to run and yelled over her shoulder, “I must go to Jerusalem and forget that I ever knew Jesus.”
Gabriel realized what he must do—he could not let her travel alone. He turned to run back for Nicodemus. When he reached the people standing outside the house, he found Nicodemus holding a scroll and talking with some of the women. The Pharisee was defending Jesus, saying, “He came to teach us that true religion is not about following the law or being good; it’s about loving God and one another. That’s why he allowed the prostitute to anoint him. He was acting out one of his parables.” Nicodemus saw Gabriel and waved. “I’m glad you didn’t leave without me,” he said, moving toward him. “Jesus wanted to speak with me before I left.” Nicodemus kept his voice low and held up the scroll. “He gave me this for Mary Magdalene.”
“What is it?”
“A letter he wrote her. He said he addressed it to Mary, but that the letter contains a message for all people. She ran out before he could give it to her. He wants me to tell Mary that he knows she is angry, but that once she reads the letter, she will understand everything.”
“We must go now and quickly,” Gabriel said, nudging him. “Mary Magdalene has already left, and we must not let her travel alone. Besides, we have important matters to discuss with her.”
“More important than you realize,” Nicodemus said, putting the scroll in his bag.
Gabriel urged him forward. “After what happened here, I was confused. Now I’m also intrigued.”
Nicodemus picked up the bag and put his free arm around Gabriel as they began to walk. “There’s much that you do not understand about Jesus, my son. He offered that sinful woman grace—our free and complete acceptance by God. We can’t earn God’s love. Our best deeds can’t make us worthy of it, nor can our worst deeds deprive us of this love. Grace means that God totally accepts us, no matter what we do or fail to do. Jesus has come to lavish this miraculous gift on us, to offer us forgiveness, and to lead us to life abundant and eternal. What better way to demonstrate grace than to show compassion to a prostitute?”
Gabriel hurried the older man along. “But look at the price he paid. He offended many of his friends—even the woman he claims to love.”
Nicodemus strained to keep pace. “Gabriel, you do not understand how radical Jesus is. He cares little about social or religious
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