CRITICISMS

Monday in Holy Week
Jn 12:1-11

Criticisms are good. They help improve our lives. Criticisms are needed. They are like signposts so that we do not get lost. Criticisms are important. Without them, we can be complacent and, worse, mediocre. But criticisms are good, needed, and important when and only when they are constructive criticisms.

Criticisms are constructive depending on a number of things. Among them is the motivation of the critic. Why does the critic criticize? Where do the critic’s criticisms come from?

Mary, anointing the feet of Jesus with expensive perfumed oil, was criticized. She was thought to have wasted such a costly ointment when it could have been used to help the poor. She was judged to have been inconsiderate of the poor while overwhelmingly concerned about Jesus. Judas Iscariot was Mary’s critic.

Judas Iscariot, though one of the Twelve, betrayed Jesus for the price of thirty pieces of silver. He held the common fund of the group and would, according to John, sometimes help himself with it. He was, John bluntly says in the Gospel today, a thief.

We have two disciples. One is in loved with Jesus. The other is in loved with money. The “money-lover” criticizes the “Jesus-lover”. Should the criticism hold water? Must the criticism be taken seriously?

When Judas criticized Mary for not selling the expensive ointment and giving the profit to the needy, could he really be sincere in his sudden concern for the poor? Concern for the poor is not developed overnight. Concern for the poor comes with regular immersion in their actual poverty. When Judas criticized Mary for anointing the feet of Jesus rather than helping the poor, was he himself really convinced of what he was protesting against? Bad habits are hard to break and stealing seemed to be one of Judas’.

Judas had no love for the poor. If he had, he would not have helped himself with the group’s resources for helping the poor. Judas had love for money though. In the light of his ill repute, Judas could have had his eyes more on having a share in the sales of the ointment rather than on sharing the sales with the poor. If given the chance, he might have stolen even that which he claimed to have been better used for the needy.

We are suspicious of Judas’ criticism. His motives had always been suspicious. But we should not be quick and self-righteous in condemning Judas. For all our criticisms against one another, Judas may be just as quick to condemn us all. He could be suspicious of us, too.