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The Passover Week: The Journey from Jerusalem to Golgotha

By: Hegomen Pishoy Kamel

The Week of Fragrance

The events of the Pascha Week are charged with the emotions of the ultimate love of God to us. It is also filled with the Lord’s broken heart and sad soul, sad to death. These infinite feelings of love of our Lord toward man are beyond the limits of expression. That is why the divine inspiration used the language of fragrance instead of the language of words.

The aroma of fragrance spreads so fast and carries with it the joy of knowing the infinite love of God amid His intense agony.

The pouring of fragrance represents the sacrifice of pouring the self that gave a pleasant aroma. This is exactly what the Lord did that week; the scent of His sacrifice filled all the corners of the earth.

At the Cross, the Father sacrificed His beloved Son. Likewise the martyrs did the same and their aroma spread out. It is essential that we act accordingly – pouring and sacrificing the self.

The Lord poured Himself and broke His body and gave it to His disciples and to us.

He poured Himself, put Himself under His disciples’ feet to wash them. He poured His love even to the one who betrayed Him. He offered Himself for those who speared Him, scourged Him and spat on His face. He died and He asked forgiveness for them.

On the Eve of Palm Sunday, i.e., on Saturday, as in Jn. 12:1-3, Mary poured fragrant oil on the feet of Jesus. This incident was repeated at Bethany. After two days it was Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread… And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper… (Mk. 14:1-5).

It is clear that it was the divine plan that the pouring of fragrance took place once the beginning of the journey to Golgotha and the second time in the middle of the journey and wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world this act will be praised. This story will spread the aroma of this service to the whole universe and to teach us great lessons for our worship and spiritual life.

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