Something New -- A Message for April 3, 2022

 

John 12:1-8

Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 

Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 

Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 

“Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” 

He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 

You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

Here ends this reading of the word of God for the people of God; thanks be to God. Amen

            Part of our work in the Season of Lent is to remember the events that led to Good Friday. This morning, we focus on a very poignant moment which the author of the book of John places 6 days before the Passover. The Passover meal was celebrated on Maundy Thursday, so Jesus’ arrival in Bethany was on the Friday before, one week before Jesus’ crucifixion.

            Jesus and his friends arrived in Bethany that Friday, went to the house of Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha and ate a delicious meal prepared by Martha.  After the meal, Mary brought out a jar of expensive, Spikenard perfume, and poured it over Jesus’s feet and then wiped off his feet with her hair. This was a shocking event for the gathered crowd. The perfume was super-expensive.  Even today, a pound of spikenard essential oil would cost almost $600. The perfume cost a year’s wages.  Imagine pouring a $60,000 bottle of perfume on someone’s feet!

            Prior to this event, earlier in the timeline of Jesus’ life, Lazarus died. After he died, Lazarus’ body was anointed with oil, wrapped in burial cloths, and placed in a tomb. Jesus arrived at Bethany 4 days after Lazarus’ burial and restored Lazarus to life. So, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus had recently experienced a profound tragedy. Our scripture tells us Mary purchased the expensive perfume to anoint Jesus’ body on the day of his burial. Jesus and his followers knew time was almost up – they perhaps did not know exactly how Jesus would die and be taken from them, but they were preparing for the worst. Mary bought the perfume to prepare for the worst – when Jesus died.

            But, Mary was inspired to take the precious perfume and pour it on Jesus’ feet. Instead of waiting to use it after his death, Mary used it before he was gone. She gave Jesus a gift – she decided not to wait. Mary wanted Jesus to know how important he was to her and wanted him to be alive to experience her anointing with the fragrant perfume.

            Sometimes in our lives, it is important to not wait to do later something we can do today. We keep the good china to use on special occasions. We put the new sheets away to use when the old sheets are worn out. We never wear our favorite shirt because we want to save it for the perfect opportunity.

            But, when it comes to our faith, it is better to give the best of ourselves now and not wait until later. When the group of people gathered in Lazarus’s house was shocked by Mary’s extravagance, Jesus reminded them that they would not always have Jesus with them.  Jesus kept telling them he would die. Mary knew Jesus was going to die. The perfume was a symbol of Mary’s love for Jesus – she wanted him to know that she loved him, so she poured the perfume on his feet and wiped it off with her hair. Mary was a proper Jewish woman….she wasn’t supposed to touch Jesus with her hands. So, she poured the oil on his feet and then wiped it off with her hair. Although the hair part was weird, it was not as forbidden as touching Jesus with her hands.

            How can we extravagantly profess our love for Jesus? How can we give of ourselves now? What does the Lord require of us?

            In Micah 6:8 it is written: “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Or as the Message translation of the Bible says: “Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, and don’t take yourselves too seriously—take God seriously.”

            We don’t have Jesus sitting in our sanctuary surrounded by a crowd of his disciples. We can’t wrap him in our finest clothing and give him our fanciest car and shower him with jewels. He isn’t here right now. But, we can do what Jesus and God asks us to do…we can treat each other fairly. We can be kind to one another. WE can be compassionate and loyal to the people we love and to the people we meet. We can work to take God very seriously: to pray, to worship, to tell others about our faith, to listen to God, to work to pay attention to the work and guidance of God’s Holy Spirit in our lives.

            In our day and age, in our lives, we extravagantly profess our love and faith in Jesus by working to live that love in our lives.

            Let us to so in love. Amen.