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The Fifth Sunday of Lent - Lent 5 RCL – Year C

Sunday, March 21, 2010                                                                                                                                                                                

Isaiah 43:16-21 – Psalm 126 – Philippians 3:4b-14 – John 12:1-8

Rev. William R. Nesbit, Jr.

In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen.

“You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”

What are we to make of this statement of Jesus? If we were to rely on the plain reading of scripture, it would seem that it is more important to worship Jesus than to take care of the poor. Could that possibly be what Jesus meant? Is that the way Jesus lead his life?

Clearly not, so what is the Gospel trying to tell us? Well, first we should remember that today’s reading is from the Fourth Gospel, the Gospel attributed to John. It is always important to remember that when you are listening to the Fourth Gospel there is a much more developed theology behind the words. John is thought to have been the last of the four gospels to be written, and is very different in style from the other three. The Gospel of John was written for an audience of persecuted Christians. They were a small struggling church being repressed by the leaders of the larger mainline Jewish temple. This situation lies behind and informs the whole story, indeed the whole Gospel. So now, let’s go back and set the scene. Jesus is returning to the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, whom he earlier raised from the dead. The occasion of his return is a dinner, an opportunity for this family to thank Jesus, and to share their friendship. This is the first time he has returned to Bethany since that miraculous event. One might think there would be a party, or at least a gathering of well wishers, but that is not the case. The leaders of the Temple are now searching for Jesus to arrest him, and so he and his disciples must sneak from village to village.

In the verses just prior to what we heard this morning, we hear that the people of Jerusalem are beginning to get excited and they are wondering whether Jesus will, or will not be coming to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration. We also hear that the Temple leaders are asking everyone for any information they might have about the whereabouts of Jesus. In short, it is the eve of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and the tension is building.

As we return to the dinner, we see that all is normal except for Mary. The men are at table and Martha is serving while Mary stays with the men. If a similar incident related in the gospel of Luke involving Mary and Martha is not just a variation of this incident, than we might assume that this is their more or less normal experience. Either way, this time Mary is doing something different... very different. She has obtained a one pound jar of nard, a very costly perfume used in preparing a body for burial. Both of these points are important to the story. The perfume is very, very expensive, and it is used to prepare the dead for burial.

Let’s look a little closer at the cost of the perfume first. In case we miss the point, Judas’ comment makes sure that we know beyond a doubt how expensive this gift is. Mary has made a gift to Jesus that is far beyond her means, and yet it comes out of her whole self, body mind and spirit. In this, she is emulating her friend and Savior, and so Jesus rewards her gift. She is giving without thought of self. It would be easy to dismiss Judas’ comments, as the narrator does, as the griping of a thief who is losing his profits, but if you are honest with yourself you have to admit that Judas has a point, regardless of why he made it. Couldn’t the money spent on the Nard have been put to better use?

In a slightly different way this is the same question that arises every time someone builds a church building. Every dollar spent on a building is a dollar that can’t be spent on ministry. There are some who say the building should only be as good as it needs to be to keep the rain off our backs so as to have more money for ministry. There are others who say the building should be magnificent, in order to reflect the glory of God, and invoke a sense of wonder and awe in all who enter, so as to inspire people to do more for ministry. I have no doubt that it has been that way since church was invented, and neither do I doubt that these two views will persist until there is no longer any need for churches. The more important question that this passage raises is, given the opportunity would I... could I, give like Mary...give out of my whole mind, body, and spirit? It is, after all, what Christ asks of us. It is what Christ did for us, and still does for us today. How could we do less?

Now let us examine the perfume as used to prepare for the burial of the dead. At face value it could all be a simple literary foreshadowing of the coming passion and death of Jesus, though it is no small leap to see it as a natural response to the growing gloom felt by the group, as the powerful forces arrayed against Jesus began to move. It would be hard not to be thinking about death as plots against both Jesus and Lazarus by the ruling power became more and more obvious. But as is almost always the case with John, there is more. The response of Jesus to Judas’ rebuke gives us two thoughts to chew on.

The first is, I think, the obvious one. We have a finite amount of time here on earth. Though the work may go on, there is only so much time we have to do it in, which is to say that there may come a time when it is too late. Not an altogether pleasant thought. It is our natural inclination to delay doing difficult tasks. In this little passage, we are reminded of what we know if we were to think about it. Time is a precious commodity that we waste at our peril.

The second thought to ruminate on is more subtle, I think, even though it is right there in front of us. “You do not always have me with you.” I think Jesus is reminding his followers, both then and now, that there will be times when they will feel separated from him and that they should take full advantage of the time they have together now in preparation for those times apart. When people come to me feeling like they are abandoned, or worse persecuted by God, one of the first areas I explore with them is the hard work of remembering what it felt like when God was in their life. Looking back, most took it for granted and prayed little, assuming it would always be that way, that God would always be in their life.

Today, Jesus warns us that our fears do sometimes come true. There will be times when we will feel cut off. It is best to prepare for those times now when you feel God’s presence in your life deeply. And just in case you are one of those who is feeling cut off right now, I fancy Jesus may even have something to say to you as well. Like much of John, even though it is right in front of you, it is not always obvious. If you will recall the parable of the judgement of the nations where the King welcomes those at his right hand into the kingdom prepared for them because when he was hungry they fed him etc. and when they ask how he says, “just as you did it to one of the least of these...you did it to me,” I think it will help a bit.

When Jesus says,“You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me,” he might also be saying “You may not always have me, but you always have the poor.” Many of us know that helping others helps strengthen our connection to God, might it also restore that connection when we feel it is broken altogether? I can tell you I have seen it happen.

As we enter into the pageantry and pathos of Holy Week starting next Sunday I remind you to be prepared to be surprised as the mystery of love overcoming the power of death unfolds. Look for love and faith in unlikely places. Be open to God coming to you out of the shadows and silence, as well as the music and light. We will need to remember to both love and fear God as we enter the ordeals of Holy Week; walking with Jesus from the triumphal entry through the gates of Jerusalem, to the new commandment given in the upper room. From the trial and betrayal in the garden, to the trial and condemnation before Pilate. From the streets of Jerusalem in disgrace, to the holy cross on Golgotha. Both love and judgement linger in surprising places throughout the journey of Holy Week, waiting to break our hearts open; to make them new again. I bid you, Be ready! Like Paul, who knew this to the depth of his soul, do not be tempted to rely on past actions or any gains you have made. Forget what lies behind and strain forward to what lies ahead. Press on toward the goal of knowing Christ and the power of his resurrection, a power that will change you, both in this world and in the world to come. Amen.