John 12:1-8
Last week we heard the story of the Prodigal Son, the great parable of the love God has for us. God loves us when we don’t even believe in him, when we deny him, even if we are actively against him.
But we can get to know and experience this love, the same love the prodigal son received, if we want to, but just as the parable shows, God does not force himself upon us.
The great desire of God is to show the wonder of his love to you, me and all the world. So we too turn back to the Father like the prodigal and in the so doing open ourselves up to the avalanche of the love of God.
As prodigals then, what do we do when faced with the full force of this love; this God?
Well in today’s gospel from John that very question is answered by Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, whom Jesus has recently raised to life, four days after he died.
But let’s some context first. Jesus is at the end of his public ministry. In John’s gospel, Jesus’ public ministry begins with a public feast – the Wedding at Cana, and today in the last public moment of his ministry it moves to its close with another social occasion.
His very good friends Mary, Martha and Lazarus have put on a dinner in Jesus’ honour, attended by many others who came to see this man Jesus who had raised their friend Lazarus from the dead.
It is only a week from the Passover. Bethany is only 5 or 6 Kms from Jerusalem and Jesus will leave from here and triumphantly enter Jerusalem.
Now the foreshadowing of death is all over this passage. It is only a matter of perhaps weeks since Lazarus was raised from the dead, and just six days before Jesus own crucifixion which he has repeatedly told his disciples of.
Six days before the Last Supper, where he will explicitly tell his disciples what his death will mean.
Lazarus and Jesus eating together brings to mind the resurrection of Lazarus one chapter previously, and foreshadows the more important resurrection that is soon to come. Death is heavy in the room.
What sounds like a simple reunion of friends is actually the foretaste of what is to come in a mere week’s time.
So we come to the actions of this fascinating Character, Mary. Over the next 2 weeks we will hear of five Marys; this Mary, sister of Lazarus and Martha; Mary, the mother of Jesus; Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of Joses, and Mary the mother of James.
All were present at the cross, three were the first at the empty tomb, and all were in the upper room with all the disciples on the day Jesus was resurrected.
So back to the question of what to do now we are faced with the love of God in this Christ who raised his brother from the dead.
We are compelled to act in the way that Mary has acted toward Jesus all through the gospels. She is the model of how we react to this love in the person of Jesus, the only person through whom we can know this love.
Firstly, Mary shows what genuine humility looks like. Mary is mentioned 3 times in the gospels and always in association with Jesus’ feet.
She sits at Jesus feet to listen to him teach (Luke 10:49); she falls at Jesus’ feet prostrate in grief before her brother Lazarus’ resurrection; and here she anoints Jesus’ feet to show her devotion.
Just as her whole hearted commitment to Jesus is demonstrated by her humbling herself at the feet of Jesus, we too commit ourselves to Jesus at the foot of his cross. There is no other way to come to God and receive this love.
Secondly, knowing the love that Jesus has for her, she trusts her heart. She trusts her feelings as they have been purified and made holy by God. She felt in her heart that something very deep and important was happening and about to happen.
The significance of her use of expensive Nard, often used to anoint dead bodies may have been lost to her at the time – I’m not sure she could have known that Jesus was to die in less than a week; none of the other disciples understood what was to take place.
But because she had sat at Jesus’ feet listening to his teaching, she instinctively knew that this was a prophetic action – indicating a future event yet to come.
We too become attuned to God when we sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to the Word of God, that is Jesus himself. Her feeding on Jesus teaching also means that her anointing of Jesus’ feet was at just the right time.
Jesus confirms the prophecy when he says in v.7, “She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial.” It was intended that the perfume be kept for this moment.
If Mary had thought ‘There are too many people around so I might wait to anoint Jesus’ feet next time I see him,’ she would have cruelly disappointed. Mary reminds us to use the day while we still have light.
Thirdly, and perhaps most noticeably, is the sheer extravagance of what Mary did. Perhaps she means to only use a few drops of this perfume, but she couldn’t stop herself.
It was as if it were her own love for Jesus that was being poured out and she poured out the whole bottle. I can’t find words to explain how beautiful this is.
It is not extravagance of itself, though, that works the will of God. Some are richer than others after all and can afford extravagance. But she shows that Jesus is worthy of the richest treasures of our self-giving.
It is possible for us to be so balanced and sensible that we lose touch with the extravagance of a heart like Mary’s. As it says in Ecclesiastes (3:6) “there is a time to keep and a time to throw away” for the glory and honour of him who is worthy of all our love and devotion.
When Mark (14:9) records this extravagant act of love Jesus says, “Wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told.” And here we are 2,000 later on the other side of the world talking about it.
So one single act of devotion has become a light to multitudes over 2 millennia in every corner of the world. What fruit this one act has borne!
What I would like all of us to take from this gospel is that sincere and authentic service of Jesus has a divine capacity to touch and bless lives far beyond our knowing or telling.
Our service blesses others. For whatever is done for Christ, no matter how humble or how extravagant, becomes part of the indestructible. Jesus says elsewhere, “Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose their reward” (Mk 9:41).
So, how do we react when faced with having experienced the indescribable love of God? We can’t help but want to serve him with utter humility. All the power, honour, and glory belong to the Lord God, not us.
Secondly, we can’t help but want to be near him always, spending time with him every day so we may perceive what his will is. His good, perfect, and pure will.
Finally, we become extravagant, and pour out to the Lord our very life, the most expensive gift we own, because it was bought at such a price. Let me pray …