The Rev’d Kenneth H. Saunders III
Christ Episcopal Church
Cleveland, NC
RCL Year C (Lent 5) – March 21, 2010
Writen also for the "Opponents of Christ" series
Isaiah 43:16-21
Psalm 126
Philippians 3:4b-14
John 12:1-8
Jesus is well on his way to Jerusalem. His entry, and the actions that will take place afterward, will be celebrated next Sunday (week) with a reenactment and a dramatic reading.
But today, we aren’t there yet. But we are well on our way.
Jesus and the 12 have stopped off in the village of Bethany, just west of Jerusalem, about 6 km. Our gospel story from John says that they stop off at the home of Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha.
We remember it is Lazarus that Jesus raises from the dead in the 11th Chapter of John after he had already been in the tomb 4 days. And today, on their way to Jerusalem, Jesus and the 12 stop by for dinner…
And after reclining at the table, preparing for supper, Mary takes a bottle of pure nard – a expensive imported perfume mixture made of an herb that grows in the foothills of the Himalayas… and anoints Jesus’ feet… and then, in an extremely informal and intimate act of care and compassion, she dries Jesus’ feet with her hair.
A women letting down her hair in public, especially in front of several men, was just not done in these times… But Jesus’ feet were anointed and the whole house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
Then Judas Iscariot perks up, and rebukes her… He says to Jesus, “Why was this perfume not sold for 300 denarii and the money given to the poor?” This is almost a whole years wages for a working man… Now, I want to know how Judas knew the value of this extravagant imported perfume… how was he familiar with such things?
We are told that Judas Iscariot is the son of Simon Iscariot, who according to the Gospel of John, was a leper that was healed by Jesus and also Pharisee. It is unknown if this Simon (Simon Iscariot) is the same Simon as Simon the Zealot, who is referred to in the other gospels… But it would seem that John is making this inference…
If Judas Iscariot was in fact a Zealot (who was a zealous Pharisee – someone who had status and wealth in society – who later started a movement against the roman government)… If Judas was a Zealot, then he would probably have some knowledge about such an extravagant item, but the scriptures don’t say exactly.
None the less, Judas is verbally upset at Mary, who is anointing Jesus’ feet… Saying that it could have been sold and the money given to the poor… Then the gospel writer goes on, and makes sure that we know Judas is the opponent here – the one that will betray Jesus… and John calls Judas a thief and says that steals from the common purse…
Jesus is quick to set Judas straight, and in the process, teach us something about hospitality and discipleship… and teach us something about ourselves. In Mary’s act of anointing Jesus’ feet, she offers him an unequalled service of hospitality and generosity not worrying what she will get out of it.
And Jesus says to Judas, “leave her alone! She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial.” Some say Mary did this act because she was so happy that Jesus raised her brother Lazarus from the dead… She repaid Jesus with the act of anointing his feet with an expensive perfume.
Whatever the reason, Judas rebukes her. And, in Jesus’ comment to Judas, Jesus prophecies his own death and burial… Something that will happen sooner than any of them sitting at the table could possibly imagine.
I have spoke many times from the pulpit about using our wealth to build up the kingdom of God, and to further the work of Christ in the world. It has been the practice for centuries that the place of worship represents the house of God.
By giving God our FIRST and our BEST, we erect a building for our worshipping community to represent a certain awe and wonder… a certain majesty, that surrounds our view of who God is, and how God works in our lives.
Like Mary, we are all called to this type of extravagant discipleship – it represents the BEST of who we are… the best of the community, and its value is unequalled. Like Mary’s use of the costly perfume, we use elaborate metalwork and expensive cloth appointments, and have nice facilities to represent to the world who we know our God to be. To give God the best of our best, and then we set it aside for worship and for the work of the kingdom.
When we don’t act like this – when our buildings are falling down around us, or our facilities are not in order… Or if anything that we have here at our place of worship, is inferior to anything that we have in our own homes, it says that we don’t value giving God our best.
Mary gave God her best, and perhaps unknowingly – out of an act of gratitude, nointed his feet with the most costly of perfumes made of pure nard – and Judas called her down for it…
Judas seemed to have his own agenda of forcing Jesus hand to make a move, and start a rebellion against the Roman oppression something a Zealot would do. And in this process, (possibly driven by greed,) Judas Iscariot sells Jesus out and becomes the opponent of Christ today.
Judas wanted Jesus to step up and be the Messiah that he expected, not the messiah that Jesus came to be. In Judas’ eyes, the Messiah was supposed to be a freedom fighter and deliver Israel from oppression… but that’s not why Jesus came. Jesus came to heal, and restore, and to bring peace, in his own way, by teaching us to love and care for each other not by wielding a sword and leading a rebellion.
This is the last opponent that we will find in the Gospel stories as we travel through this season of Lent. Next week, Jesus will continue on his journey and enter Jerusalem in a display of majesty and be honored as a king… but today, he’s not there yet.
He stopped over and ate dinner at a friends house, and was treated with honor and respect, and much love…
Oh that we could love as much…
Christ Episcopal Church
Cleveland, NC
RCL Year C (Lent 5) – March 21, 2010
Writen also for the "Opponents of Christ" series
Isaiah 43:16-21
Psalm 126
Philippians 3:4b-14
John 12:1-8
Jesus is well on his way to Jerusalem. His entry, and the actions that will take place afterward, will be celebrated next Sunday (week) with a reenactment and a dramatic reading.
But today, we aren’t there yet. But we are well on our way.
Jesus and the 12 have stopped off in the village of Bethany, just west of Jerusalem, about 6 km. Our gospel story from John says that they stop off at the home of Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha.
We remember it is Lazarus that Jesus raises from the dead in the 11th Chapter of John after he had already been in the tomb 4 days. And today, on their way to Jerusalem, Jesus and the 12 stop by for dinner…
And after reclining at the table, preparing for supper, Mary takes a bottle of pure nard – a expensive imported perfume mixture made of an herb that grows in the foothills of the Himalayas… and anoints Jesus’ feet… and then, in an extremely informal and intimate act of care and compassion, she dries Jesus’ feet with her hair.
A women letting down her hair in public, especially in front of several men, was just not done in these times… But Jesus’ feet were anointed and the whole house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
Then Judas Iscariot perks up, and rebukes her… He says to Jesus, “Why was this perfume not sold for 300 denarii and the money given to the poor?” This is almost a whole years wages for a working man… Now, I want to know how Judas knew the value of this extravagant imported perfume… how was he familiar with such things?
We are told that Judas Iscariot is the son of Simon Iscariot, who according to the Gospel of John, was a leper that was healed by Jesus and also Pharisee. It is unknown if this Simon (Simon Iscariot) is the same Simon as Simon the Zealot, who is referred to in the other gospels… But it would seem that John is making this inference…
If Judas Iscariot was in fact a Zealot (who was a zealous Pharisee – someone who had status and wealth in society – who later started a movement against the roman government)… If Judas was a Zealot, then he would probably have some knowledge about such an extravagant item, but the scriptures don’t say exactly.
None the less, Judas is verbally upset at Mary, who is anointing Jesus’ feet… Saying that it could have been sold and the money given to the poor… Then the gospel writer goes on, and makes sure that we know Judas is the opponent here – the one that will betray Jesus… and John calls Judas a thief and says that steals from the common purse…
Jesus is quick to set Judas straight, and in the process, teach us something about hospitality and discipleship… and teach us something about ourselves. In Mary’s act of anointing Jesus’ feet, she offers him an unequalled service of hospitality and generosity not worrying what she will get out of it.
And Jesus says to Judas, “leave her alone! She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial.” Some say Mary did this act because she was so happy that Jesus raised her brother Lazarus from the dead… She repaid Jesus with the act of anointing his feet with an expensive perfume.
Whatever the reason, Judas rebukes her. And, in Jesus’ comment to Judas, Jesus prophecies his own death and burial… Something that will happen sooner than any of them sitting at the table could possibly imagine.
I have spoke many times from the pulpit about using our wealth to build up the kingdom of God, and to further the work of Christ in the world. It has been the practice for centuries that the place of worship represents the house of God.
By giving God our FIRST and our BEST, we erect a building for our worshipping community to represent a certain awe and wonder… a certain majesty, that surrounds our view of who God is, and how God works in our lives.
Like Mary, we are all called to this type of extravagant discipleship – it represents the BEST of who we are… the best of the community, and its value is unequalled. Like Mary’s use of the costly perfume, we use elaborate metalwork and expensive cloth appointments, and have nice facilities to represent to the world who we know our God to be. To give God the best of our best, and then we set it aside for worship and for the work of the kingdom.
When we don’t act like this – when our buildings are falling down around us, or our facilities are not in order… Or if anything that we have here at our place of worship, is inferior to anything that we have in our own homes, it says that we don’t value giving God our best.
Mary gave God her best, and perhaps unknowingly – out of an act of gratitude, nointed his feet with the most costly of perfumes made of pure nard – and Judas called her down for it…
Judas seemed to have his own agenda of forcing Jesus hand to make a move, and start a rebellion against the Roman oppression something a Zealot would do. And in this process, (possibly driven by greed,) Judas Iscariot sells Jesus out and becomes the opponent of Christ today.
Judas wanted Jesus to step up and be the Messiah that he expected, not the messiah that Jesus came to be. In Judas’ eyes, the Messiah was supposed to be a freedom fighter and deliver Israel from oppression… but that’s not why Jesus came. Jesus came to heal, and restore, and to bring peace, in his own way, by teaching us to love and care for each other not by wielding a sword and leading a rebellion.
This is the last opponent that we will find in the Gospel stories as we travel through this season of Lent. Next week, Jesus will continue on his journey and enter Jerusalem in a display of majesty and be honored as a king… but today, he’s not there yet.
He stopped over and ate dinner at a friends house, and was treated with honor and respect, and much love…
Oh that we could love as much…
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