By Ellen Chiu, InterHigh Mentor, Junior @ UC Berkeley

What is the fundamental difference between Mary and Judas as revealed by his objection to what she did?

Mary had her life savings in the form of this expensive perfume poured over Jesus’ feet. This act of utmost humility and reverence for Jesus was objected by Judas, however. The difference between Mary and Judas is that Mary was God-centered while Judas was self-centered. Her bottle of expensive perfume equaled to that of a year’s worth salary, and through Judas’ eyes, it was a waste to pour it over a person’s feet, instead of selling it in exchange for money. From John, we see that even though Judas spoke of giving the money to the poor, in truth, he was a thief who often stole some money for himself, which warns me to not say things in order to look like a “good” Christian in front of people when in fact those statements are being said to cover up a sin that I am ashamed of. Also, Judas’ thoughts parallel with those of today’s world’s; through the eyes of the world, Mary’s dramatic gesture would be seen as costly and wasteful. Perhaps, any act of devotion for God seen as radical would be seen this way, if it means giving up something that would be good for oneself, such as passing up a good job or school, to obey and follow Him.

However, through Mary’s act of pouring her perfume, and washing of Jesus’ feet with her hair, I can see her heart for Jesus. Oftentimes, when my schedule is wrapped heavily around school, I can feel myself drifting apart, and the potential for me to be self-centered increases. But reading about Mary’s love for Jesus reminds me of what love for Jesus should be like. Things that may seem foolish to the world, may actually be treasures; Mary knew that Jesus was worth more than a bottle of perfume, as it is with so many things in my life that I try to grasp onto. Knowing that compared to having Jesus in my life and obeying Him, it is worth it because He is worthy.

By Lizzie Hui, InterHigh Mentor, Sophomore @ UC Berkeley

John 12:20-28

How does the Christian understanding of glory differ from the world’s defintion?

To Christians, it is considered “glorious” to be immune to the world’s voice, to be able to die to earthly desires and place God at the very center of your life, and to carry out his kingdom work by reaching out to others and bringing them into the light.  This definition of “glory” is drastically different from the the world’s.  As a non-Christian growing up, I believed that living a “glorious” life meant earning career success, fame, and admiration from others.  I later realized this essentially meant living a highly individualistic life of never bothering anyone and of constantly conforming to society’s arbitrary standards and expectations in order to gain respect.  Even if I did achieve the world’s version of “glory”, what would I lose in the process?  More importantly, what would I ever GAIN the promised contentment or be forever hungry for even more recognition?  What kind of empty, self-centered person would I ultimately become?  It is still so tempting to succumb to the world’s definition of “glory”, but when I really force myself to pause and step back, I see how destructive it is to fool myself into striving for society’s approval. And when I do set my mind upon becoming more other-centered, taking baby steps towards the kind of glory God wants for me, I find this incredible joy in knowing I am carrying out his will for me.

In what ways have I embraced the life of becoming a kernel that falls and dies?

Striving to become a kernel that falls, dies, and thus “produces many seeds” really challenged me to venture outside my comfort zone by opening up to people and getting to know them on a deeper level and becoming more other-centered, even if I’d had a bad day or wasn’t feeling particularly social.  I’m the type of person who tries to avoid confrontation and potential awkwardness at any cost, and I really had to work on overcoming the desire to just “leave people the way they were” or settle for only knowing their major and number of siblings.  A lot of it required me to also share my own feelings and experiences, something I was also hesitant to do, in order for them to become more comfortable and open.  I was also challenged to close myself off from secular influences, especially the media.  I realized the extent that television and the Internet contributed to a state of idleness and isolation, and made me more concerned about not
conforming to the world’s standards.  Doing these things really motivated me to die to my own desires and really be more other-centered.