John 12 – Mary Anoints Jesus (a $40,000 pedicure?!?)
/Lectionary Readings for Sept. 26, 2021 18th Sunday After Pentecost, Year B
Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22 v22 The Festival of Purim “would commemorate a time when the Jews gained relief from their enemies, when their sorrow was turned into gladness and their mourning into joy.”
Psalm 124 v8 Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
James 5:13-20 v16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
Mark 9:38-50 v42 “But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone hung around your neck.” ~ Jesus
But this week we continue our series exploring the book of John, now with Chapter 12.
Weekly Meditative Exercise
Christianity includes a long and rich tradition of embracing meditative practices as a way of keeping us connected with God, ourselves, and each other. I encourage you to spend some time each week (ideally 10-30 minutes) trying each weekly exercise. You will naturally find some more appealing and effective than others. You’ll like some but not others, and after 6-12 months you’ll better understand what’s available and what helps you.
This week’s exercise focuses on Having a Rule for Life (pages 37-41)
From Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun. InterVarsity Press, 2005.
Desire: to live a sane and holy rhythm that reflects a deep love for God and respect for how the Creator has made me.
Definition: A rule for life offers unique and regular rhythms that free and open each person to the will and presence of Christ. The spiritual practices of a rule provide a way to partner with the Holy Spirit for personal transformation.
Scripture: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” Acts 2:42
As you engage with this exercise, I encourage you to ask... “What are my most basic rules for my life? Which of my rules are life-giving and should be embraced? Which of my rules are unhealthy and should be cast aside? What new rules would help me live more abundantly?”
For example, a rule of life can be... Jesus’ Greatest Commandments.
Or John Wesley’s 3 Rules: Do no harm. Do good. Stay in a loving relationship with God.
Or practice faith, hope, and love.
For example, a rule of life can be a core belief that we regularly repeat to ourselves to keep us on track, such as... God made me. God loves me. God has plans for me.
Peace through Leadership Quotes
“My favorite parable for living a positive and influential life is the Golden Rule: Do unto others what you would have them do unto you.” ~ Tony Oller
If we all lived by the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12), the world would certainly be a more peaceful place. How can you live in a way that treats others the way(s) you wish to be treated?
Any time I preach or lead a group, regardless of age, I start the same way. I’m going to say three short sentences. Please repeat each sentence, with enthusiasm.
God made me. God loves me. God has plans for me.
Preface to Today’s Scripture Reading
Last week, we heard the famous story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead – the final miraculous sign Jesus performs in John’s gospel. Naturally, many people who witnessed this were convinced that Jesus was indeed their Messiah, their Savior, their Christ.
The Jewish religious leaders were as divided as the general population: some believed that Jesus was God in the flesh, and others just could NOT accept that, no matter how many incredible miracles Jesus performed.
With some of the Jewish religious leaders attempting to find and kill Him, Jesus went into hiding with His disciples during the days leading up to Passover. But there’s nothing like a big meal with friends to lift your spirits. As you’re about to hear, Lazarus’ family threw a big dinner party for Jesus. If someone raised your spouse, parent, or child from the dead, how big of a party would you throw to show your joy and gratitude?
During dinner, Mary of Bethany (she’s named only in John) “anoints” Jesus’ feet with a LOT of an incredibly expensive and fragrant ointment. Nothing about her actions are “normal.” Imagine using an entire bottle of perfume on someone’s feet. The smell would have filled the entire room and poured out of any open window or door. People walking by would have smelled this and wondered what was happening inside.
The key word here is “anoints.” Mary isn’t just washing the day’s sand and dust off of Jesus’ feet. This is not a “normal” cleansing. Somehow, Mary realized that she was in an extra-ordinary moment with a very extra-ordinary person. She responded by celebrating an extra-ordinary time with an expression of extra-ordinary sacrifice, generosity, and intimacy – all of which shocked everyone in the room.
Except for Jesus. Jesus relaxed and received her expression of love and worship. I can’t help but wonder... how can we relax, let our guards down, and receive God’s extra-ordinary expressions of love for us?
Let’s open our ears, minds, and hearts as we hear today’s Scripture reading.
Read John 12:1-19, 37-50 and all of Chapter 12 this week.
Poor Judas. I genuinely feel sorry for the guy. This story was written decades after the event took place, and the author does not hesitate to paint Judas in the worst possible light stating he is a thief. Maybe Judas justified taking a cut of the money as a small compensation for his administrative skills and support. How many of us have justified taking office supplies from our workplace or adding personal expenses to a business trip? A little here, a little there, who’s going to notice? What harm does it actually do? When I started my first job out of college, I remember someone telling me, “It’s amazing how much you can get out of the company if you work the system right.” Maybe none of us have never done that, but most of us have seen it. I dare say there’s a bit of Judas in most of us.
Now imagine you were at the big dinner with Jesus. YOU are one of Jesus’ disciples. YOU have walked hundreds of miles with Jesus over mountains and across deserts with little more than the clothes on your back and sleeping outside when you couldn’t find anyone who would let you crash at their house. YOU have been beside Jesus as He challenged local authorities, burning potential social and political bridges along the way. YOU have given up so much for this cause. YOU have spent years hearing Jesus talk about the importance of caring for the sick, the hungry, the outcast, the widows and orphans... so many people whose basic needs far outweigh your skills or resources to solve. YOU may be very frustrated right now and YOU are likely concerned about your safety and Jesus’ safety as Passover approaches. With all of that inside you...
This woman freely chooses to use nearly a pound of outrageously expensive ointment to wash Jesus’ feet?!? That’s a $40,000 pedicure! Are you kidding me?!? Do you realize what our faith community could do with all of that money?!? The food, the clothing, the camel vouchers to get around town, the hotel nights...
If this scene were to take place today, I think the majority of us might quickly agree with Judas. You heard me right. His protest in favor of financial responsibility seems reasonable.
So what kind of modern-day wisdom can we glean from this? I think the key lies within Jesus’ answer: “She did this in preparation for my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”
The first part points out that Mary is not doing this for her own benefit. Mary’s actions were her way of honoring God’s presence in her life. Her extra-ordinary generosity celebrated Jesus’ life of extra-ordinary service to others AND symbolically prepared Jesus for His extra-ordinary execution and resurrection. And notice that her offering was not just dropped off with Jesus: “Here you go, it’s really expensive, I saved a long time for this; hope you like it; have a nice day.” No... Mary brought her offering AND put it to use; her offering went from being a noun (an inanimate thing) to being a verb (an action of service).
What sacrifices can we make – individually and as a faith community – to celebrate what God has done in our lives AND prepare for what’s next?
The second half of Jesus’ comment is concerning. At face value, it sounds like Jesus is suddenly indifferent to the plight of the poor. “Pamper me first; you can deal with them later.” But that understanding stands in stark contrast to everything Jesus has said and done since He began His ministry several years ago. He has lived a life of consistently putting others first and avoiding extravagant living.
As one commentator put it: “You always have the poor with you” (12:8a) is NOT a statement of promise but, rather, an indictment of people and systems that capitalize on those who are actually poor. Jesus’ words provide criticism of the Judases in our midst, whose own poverty of heart and mind keeps in place systems of power that disadvantage the economically poor. “You will always have the poor with you” is a wake-up call to service. (Jarvis, Cynthia A.; Johnson, E. Elizabeth. Feasting on the Gospels--John, Volume 2. Westminster John Knox Press. Kindle 2676.)
That sounds a lot more like the Jesus we’ve come to know throughout John’s gospel. The Jesus who gave the best of Himself. The Jesus who anointed people with words of healing. The Jesus who, in the next chapter, will wash the disciples’ feet the same way Mary washed His.
Two questions for us today should prod us to consider how we utilize the resources we have.
In what ways can we sacrificially give as an act of acknowledging and worshiping God’s presence among us?
In what ways can we serve those in need while we confront the systems that neglect and oppress others?
As Christians, followers of Jesus our Christ, each of us are called to ask and respond to these questions. These are and always have been difficult questions because they challenge how we spend our time, energy, and money. They challenge our willingness to serve outside our comfort zones. And as we answer these questions and address the challenges they pose, our answers will draw us closer and closer to God and help us see how we make the Kingdom of God a lived reality for ourselves, our families, and our community.
Let us worship God with extra-ordinary generosity and serve others with extra-ordinary humility.
Amen? Amen!