Marie Magdalene
The Wonder of Her Washing
Mary Magdalene's humble wiping of the Savior's feet is set before us as both a marvel and a riddle, raising the question of why a stained sinner should wash the undefiled Lord with tears that cannot reach the depth of her own sins.
When blessed Mary wiped her Savior's feet (whose precepts she had trampled on before) and wore them as a jewel on her head, showing that his steps should be the street where, from then on forever, she would live and walk with thoughtful humility: She herself was stained—so why did she strive to make him clean, the one who could not be defiled? Why didn't she keep her tears for her own faults, instead of for his feet? Even if we could dive in tears like seas, our sins are piled deeper than those tears—in words, and works, and thoughts.1
The Knowledge That Washes
The riddle is resolved in Mary's intimate knowledge of Christ's gracious condescension: her sins had wounded even God, yet he stooped to bear them, so her washing of his feet becomes a washing of herself as well.
Dear soul, she knew who graciously consented and stooped to bear her filth, and that her sins had struck even God himself. So she was not unwilling: as she had brought something with which to stain, so she brought something with which to wash. And yet in washing one, she washed both.2
Read the original English
When blessed Marie wip'd her Saviours feet, (Whose precepts she had trampled on before) And wore them for a jewell on her head, Shewing his steps should be the street, Wherein she thenceforth evermore With pensive humblenesse would live and tread:
She being stain'd her self, why did she strive To make him clean, who could not be defil'd? Why kept she not her tears for her own faults, And not his feet? Though we could dive In tears like seas, our sinnes are pil'd Deeper then they, in words, and works, and thoughts.
Deare soul, she knew who did vouchsafe and deigne To bear her filth; and that her sinnes did dash Ev'n God himself: wherefore she was not loth, As she had brought wherewith to stain, So to bring in wherewith to wash: And yet in washing one, she washed both.
Notes
- 1 ↩Source 'then' is early modern spelling for comparative 'than'; 'they' refers to the seas of tears.
- 2 ↩Herbert's closing paradox leaves 'both' open: washing Christ's feet washes both his feet and her own sin-stained self (or both parties). The modern rendering keeps the deliberate open 'both' rather than forcing one resolution.
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