06 Apr Sermon – SUNDAY, APRIL 6, 2025
We are in the home of Lazarus, Martha and Mary in Bethany. And in case we hadn’t heard, Lazarus has become famous for being raised from the dead. And as I have mentioned before, there are some who wish to silence his amazing testimony forever by killing Lazarus off again, for good.
We hear of Martha serving, as Martha is known to do. Perhaps this time, both she and Mary have worked together in the kitchen cooking all day after giving the house a thorough cleaning and doing other chores. There seems to be no tension in the scene as yet. These are a group of friends among friends as we see Lazarus seated there at the table with Jesus.
Mary is passionate as ever and she can’t help but act upon her feelings. For so long, she’s been saving up to buy a fragrant perfume made of pure nard. She bought it with an entire year’s wages, but nothing is too good for Jesus, who means the world to her and her family. So, she anointed his feet.
I’m not surprised that she wiped his feet with her hair. I would have done the same in an attempt to not waste the wonderful substance which would moisten her tresses and make them smell good, too. When I apply pure coconut oil to my face, I wipe any excess on other parts of my skin and hair rather than wipe or wash it away and waste any.
It might have been unusual for just any woman to have her hair hanging down and proceed to wipe just any man’s feet, but this was Jesus. How wonderful it was to fill the house with the perfume’s fragrance and to show Jesus just how precious he is and how much he means to them.
And to be clear, this is not Mary Magdalene, the prostitute who is portrayed in artwork, falling at Jesus’ feet to acknowledge great personal debt, although, Mary of Bethany does fall at his feet and do the same, there is no shame in her, only love for a friend who’s about to die. And she must have been wondering how Jesus will raise himself from the dead like he raised her brother Lazarus if Jesus himself dies.
Perhaps there was no shame in Mary, but there certainly must have been sorrow. The mood changes from everyone in the room feeling fullness and satisfaction after a great meal, to anticipatory feelings of grief. No one wants to face the future if the future holds in it certain pain and suffering. Because wherever there is pain and suffering, anger hides just around the corner.
And from around that corner, we hear the voice of Judas. A voice that may have grown angry over time. Perhaps he was not invited to dine at Lazarus, Martha and Mary’s house or wasn’t considered one of their closest friends. Perhaps it was because he felt like no one appreciated the job he did as keeper of the purse which was a source of endless worry to him.
Judas had to consider not only the needs of Jesus and his other disciples, but also how the group appeared to outsiders and whether group activities excluded the poor. In this circumstance, both parties are wrong. How dare one person choose to bestow such extravagance or on the other hand (or foot) receive such an extravagant gesture of adoration without asking Judas for his expertise in matters of finance?
There are so many modern day parallels to consider. As Christians are we free to do as we please among family and friends without consideration for those less fortunate? Are we to feel guilty, as Judas suggests? While there’s no doubt that Mary wouldn’t have used the common purse to buy the nard, perhaps, according to Judas, she might have given more to the common purse had she not saved up for that big splurge.
How many of us who give money to our kids think twice about how they spend it? If they can’t pay their bills, but then tell us about going out to eat, or we hear of them purchasing non-necessities instead of paying off a debt, how do we feel? When we offer to help or fund expenses, don’t we, as parents, expect certain behavior in return, a show of gratitude or some measure of control? How often do we, like Judas, get hung up on what others do according to our version of right or wrong, fair or unfair?
When I used to visit my mother in Virginia, she would often hand me a twenty dollar bill while in the driveway. As I was about to get in the car, she would say, “Here’s twenty dollars for gas.” One day I had the nerve to say to her, “Can’t you just give me twenty dollars without telling me how to spend it, Mom? Here she was, so generous and loving, but I was just selfish enough to both want her support and my freedom to choose.
It is six days before Jesus will hang on a cross, at a crossroads where he will lose his freedom and offer up his life in an extravagant show of love and support for every person who was ever born, friends and foes, for Lazarus, Martha, Mary and Judas. His body will become the paschal feast, and he will serve the Passover/Easter meal.
Today, along with bread and wine, Jesus will offer a fragrant anointing in remembrance of your baptism and in case you were never baptised, we’ll call it an anointing of the Holy Spirit in recognition of your good intentions: to love and serve others, to forgive and not withhold from those in need, to follow Jesus to the cross, where like him, we will suffer and die, only to be raised again and live forever with God among the angels and saints.
Jesus is here in the flesh to defend you, saying, “Leave her alone. Leave him alone. She is here; he is here, for my sake, offering a precious part of his or herself. He or she came prepared for the day of my burial which is around the corner. I recognize their intention and their sacrifice. I appreciate and accept it. You will always have others needing your care and attention.”
He continues by saying, “Today, let his or her attention be aimed at me, for soon I will leave you all in the flesh. My feet will no longer be touchable. Soon, I will be unable to taste good food, enjoy your company, smell the aromatic richness of perfume, feel the soft length of a woman’s hair, or the warmth of your love and friendship.”
Today’s gospel teaches us many things: That it’s good to have company, to make plans to get together, to savor the time we have, especially the present moment. And it’s okay to save up for special occasions or things of value, to relax sometimes and bask in the company of those we love.
Other takeaways are: Try not to waste anything, but appreciate the value of everything and everyone. Share when possible so others won’t feel left out or forgotten. Enjoy the temporal exactly because life as we know it now, won’t last. Things might change in big ways. Prepare if you can, but don’t get hung up on the final act. There are many scenes worth noting and savoring beforehand.
My monthly calendar page contains a quote by Henry Miller which reads, “One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” That’s what Jesus was trying to teach Judas. “Don’t over emphasize one aspect of life: your job or responsibilities. Always try to live in the moment and pay attention to the people in front of you. Try to evolve.”
Listen to the prophet Isaiah. “Let the Lord show you a new path, a new way to go. Even through mighty waters, you will not drown. Do not remember the former things or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?”
How many things do we worry about or respond to anxiously because of what has happened in the past, the way someone mistreated us or because of how things turned out differently than expected?
If I could only get past the pain of past relationships, the loss of my _____.
If I could only forget how it felt when ______.
My hopes were to _______, and not have to leave, not have to go on without ________. These blanks may be filled in by a whole host of names and circumstances.
Life experience is meant to teach us, but it’s not meant to scar us in ways that make us weaker or more vulnerable rather than stronger and more resilient. But there are some experiences or losses we never seem to get over or just can’t deliver praise to God for. What about those things?
I have been unlucky and lucky at the same time. Unlucky to lose so many friends and family members to either divorce or death, but lucky enough to have acquired or inherited many belongings. I tend to hold onto all of them to assuage my grief. The things remind me of those persons being on earth and a part of my life. They hold good memories, but the memories are bittersweet, more bitter than sweet, because I long for restoration and dream of reunion.
Perhaps that’s why it’s come to light that bittersweet chocolate with at least 70% bitter cocoa with less sugar and other additives contains the greatest health benefits for our hearts. But it doesn’t taste that great, does it? I prefer dark chocolate to milk chocolate, but I don’t want 70% or more bitter cocoa. I like things with high sugar content like syrups or better yet, things like cotton candy which are pure sugar.
What would it take for you to write a psalm declaring that God had restored your fortune or made real some dream of yours, had filled your mouth with laughter and your tongue with shouts of joy? What would it take for you to say, “The LORD has done great things for me and I am glad indeed.” Could you say that today and mean it?
There are tears you have already sown, but have you noticed the seeds your tears have planted? Is there a song of joy you are willing to harvest and carry upon your shoulders? What extravagant gesture might you begin to save for or give as a sign of acknowledgment for all that Jesus’ presence in your life, his friendship and willing sacrifice means to you? Let us pray.
Lord, we don’t have words to express what you mean to us, but we are grateful for all of the ways you show up. Help us to see what’s growing beneath our feet and all around us as a result of tears shed, the endurance of our hopes and dreams in spite of tragedy and because of your presence, friendship and sacrifice. In your holy name we pray, Amen.