Rev. Joan Pell Sierra Pines United Methodist Church Sermon: 3/13/16 Series: Feasting through Lent Scripture: John 12:1-8 Feasting through Lent: Appreciation <John 12:1-8 NRSV> Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor? (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) Jesus said, Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me. As I came into the church yesterday morning just before 8 a.m. it smelt wonderful. Eggs, and corn beef hash, and Irish soda bread. Mmmm. It was the UMM Family Breakfast, and breakfast was almost ready. Smells trigger memories and pull at our heartstrings. Perhaps you can remember the smell of cookies in your grandmother s house? Or the laundry powder your mom used to wash your clothes? Or the smell of fresh rain in the garden after a long dry spell? Or of the smell of a bouquet of roses brought home by a partner? My youngest son can even smell cucumber! They say some people can smell a good story a mile off. Our story today has a smell! It comes not long after the smell of a rotting corpse with Lazarus having been laid in a tomb for 4 days before Jesus brought him back to life. Nard is an herb that grows in the Himalayas with a fragrant root that can be dried or extracted as an oil and was used to make perfume. It comes from the Valerianaceae family of plants. Because it doesn t grow in Israel, transportation adds to its cost. Judas says that the pound of nard in our story was worth 300 denarii which is a year s wages for a laborer. Nard perfume has an -1-
intense warm musky odor. Can you imagine the overpowering smell in the small room as Mary anointed Jesus feet? But there is also the smell of treachery and betrayal and of money and greed. There s the smell of the poor that all too often we wince and turn away from. And the smell of fear and death too. But all of those were overpowered by the sweet smell of extravagant love and sacrifice for Jesus. That is the fragrance that filled their home that evening. Grace, I think, has a scent. The gospel writer John tells us that Jesus is with the disciples at Lazarus home. Lazarus is there with his 2 sisters Mary and Martha. It wasn t long after Lazarus sick, died and Jesus had brought him back to life. Chapter 11 finishes: Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who knew where Jesus was should let them know, so that they might arrest him. Jesus life is in danger. You may remember the story that the Gospel writer Luke told about Martha and Mary where Martha works hard in the kitchen and Mary comes and sits at Jesus feet to listen. John doesn t tell us that story at all, but he and the other gospel writers all tell this one, although the details are slightly different. Matthew and Mark place this event in the house of Simon, where an unnamed woman anoints Jesus head like you would a Priest or a King. But in this version, John tell us that the disciples are eating together. Martha is serving them. And Mary comes in with some costly perfume and anoints Jesus feet wiping them with her hair. Mary s actions are significant and scandalous for several reasons. 1. She s a woman! Not be at table. Not be disciples. 2. Hair eschews proprietary have to let it down loose morals. 3. Priests anoint kings. 4. Anoint bodies after die, not before. 5. Cost a year s wages 300 denarii (1 per day) 6. Feet John the Baptist even said that he was not worthy to untie Jesus sandals. How much more humiliating is washing than untying? 7. Smell over-the-top - you can t miss it very obvious How do you think you would have reacted? Me perhaps of combo of three reactions: gagging on the smell, horror at her audacity, and like Judas what a waste think how the money could have been used, Jesus response though was not one of commenting on the smell nor of horror, but he did tell them to leave her alone and pointed out that You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me. Sadly, that comment from Jesus about always having the poor with us, has been interpreted by some Christians over the years as a justification for poverty, and an excuse to ignore it. Yet we know that Jesus spent his ministry advocating for the poor, so do you really think he was counseling for neglect of the poor? I think there is something else going on in our story. -2-
As we know from the end of the last chapter, Jesus life is in danger. Perhaps Mary is the only one to seriously take on board. Jesus fears and the reality that his death was likely to be imminent. She anoints him ready for his burial. She washes his feet, and Jesus in turn will later wash the disciples feet. She gives boldly of herself in love to Jesus, just as Jesus will later boldly give of himself. She is extravagantly generous. But we ve been talking in this Lenten season about fasting and feasting: courage compassion patience forgiveness. We ve been focusing on changing our attitudes and feasting on the positive. Day after day we ve been reading and praying about shifting our mindset. Some of those words are on the wall. So what jumped out at me from this text was Jesus reaction to Mary AND in particular, what Jesus did not do. Did you notice Jesus did not criticize or judge Mary? He didn t say, what a waste. He didn t say, you re a woman, get up. He didn t tell her it was unseemly. He didn t complain about the smell. He didn t berate her or make her look small. Instead, he came to her defense. He affirmed her. He appreciated her actions. Mary was living out her faith in the way she thought best at the moment. Was it the right decision? Would I have made the same decision? Does that matter? It was Mary s decision to make, not mine. Is it my place to personally criticize every disciple of Jesus? Will everyone, and should everyone, behave the way I would have acted? Is it possible that Mary can see something that I fail to see? Can Mary be more in tune and empathetic than me? Is God using Mary to make a point to me? How much should I be micromanaging? What attitudes are we called to have towards other disciples? How do we treat each other? Can we have a spirit of appreciation that each of us is living out our faith to the best of our ability? Can we feast on appreciation and fast from criticism? Can we feast on empathy and fast from judgment? Things were tense in that room as they gathered together. Fear permeated their time together. And then Mary got up and anointed Jesus feet and there was the smell of that overbearing perfume? It must have been a funny sight. Can we feast on laughter and fast from anger? A student called Shea Glover conducted a social experiment at her high school in Chicago. She asked students and teachers to allow her to take their picture for a -3-
project. Some of them she knew. Most of them she did not. As she recorded tem she told them the purpose of her project. Here s the video she made. <show VIDEO> 1 What a difference, a small affirmation can make. And it can make a difference in our individual attitudes too. Listen to this statement, not written by me. <read it top to bottom, then bottom to top by Chanie Gorkin> 2 So, let s change our attitudes to personally to look for the good in the world. Let s feast on appreciation. Let s fast from thinking it is our job to analyze everyone else s actions, and feast on looking for the best and appreciating others for who they are, and telling them so. As we feast on appreciating the actions of Mary, I m going to finish today by sharing a poem by Steve Garness-Holmes 3 Despite all desire and its loveliness, a giving away. In the sight of those who criticize, a pouring out. Amidst the stench of death and violence, the aroma of life. Among those who do not understand, tenderness. Though there are those who divide and separate, a being with. 1 https://www.facebook.com/lovewhatreallymatters/videos/1023127237709674/?fref=nf 2 http://abc7.com/society/worst-day-ever-new-york-teens-surprising-poem-goes-viral/875990/ 3 http://tablemanna.wordpress.com/2013/03/14/the-fragrance-of-grace/ -4-
Within reach of those who strike, a gentle touch. In sight of the grave and those who threaten, hope. At the feet of those who are accused, compassion. In intimate union with one who suffers, a blessing. Throughout the house of fear, the fragrance of grace. Thanks be to God. Amen. Let us pray. I am going to have us meditate here on some of the affirmations that we posted on Facebook this Lent as we have read our Lenten devotional together. Fast from fear and judging others, feast on courage, and explore self-reflection and change. Fast from destructive behaviors, feast on healing actions. Feast on offering grace to others, even when someone is ungracious to you. Fast from dwelling on the mess we make of the world, feast on remembering the goodness in the world. Fast from pessimism, feast on justice and trying. Fast from tearing down and feast on building up. Fast from cynicism, feast on optimism and hope. Feast on making good choices that build up others. Fast from hyperbole that destroys the soul, and feast on words that seep in and communicate otherwise. Feast on well-timed humor and joyous laughter. Fast from the power of brute force, and feast on the power of graciousness, kindness and empathy. Help us to accept and appreciate each other as Christ accepted us. Amen. Resources Bartlett, David L. & Barbara Brown Taylor, Eds. Feasting on the Word. Year C, Vol. 2. Louisville: Westminster John Press, 2009. -5-