The Gospel According To John 12:1-11 [NLTse]
Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus—the man he had raised from the dead. 2 A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. 3 Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.
4 But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, 5 “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.” 6 Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself.
7 Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”
9 When all the people heard of Jesus’ arrival, they flocked to see him and also to see Lazarus, the man Jesus had raised from the dead. 10 Then the leading priests decided to kill Lazarus, too, 11 for it was because of him that many of the people had deserted them and believed in Jesus.
Sermon
[Move Collection plates from the Table to the Pulpit shelf, if needed.]
Judas complains that the perfume was worth a year’s wages. Who’s year’s wages? How much was the perfume worth?
Most literally, Judas says that the perfume was worth 300 denarii. A denarius was a day’s wage for a common laborer. So to translate such things for us today, let’s say $10/hour for 8 hours, and you get $80/day. Multiply that by 300 – because he said it was worth 300 denarii – and that gives you $24,000.00.
Can you imagine giving $24,000 to the Lord? Maybe over several years some of us have, so maybe we can. Except that when we give we’re giving toward a stained glass window or a new roof or to fund a missionary or a Pastor or to buy supplies for this or that work or to help feed, clothe, or house those in need, all that our tithes and offerings go towards. But can you imagine giving $24,000.00 and having the pastor shred it?
[Shred part of the Collection.]
That’s the context here. [Keep shredding.] That’s the source of Judas’ grumbling. [More.] “Is that what I think it is, Mary? Is that nard? You’re pouring nard on His feet? [More shredding.] Do you know what that’s worth? Do you know how many mouths you can feed with 24 grand, Jesus? [More, but not all of it.] She’s pouring it down the drain!”
Jesus knows that Judas didn’t care about the poor, so let’s not give Judas’ concern too much sympathy or credit. But think on Jesus’ response: “Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for My burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have Me.” Jesus – Who does care about the poor – He says that her wastefulness was a good thing. In the Gospel of Mark’s account, Mark adds that Jesus also said, “I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.” (14:9) It was a good thing. It was a great thing. It was a lavish thing. It anointed Him for burial…
Let’s put this into the context of the rest of John’s Gospel. Jesus has just brought Lazarus back from the dead. Lazarus was dead for four days, and Jesus brought him to life again. As a result, many put their trust in Jesus and became His followers, His disciples. But others who had been offended by some of Jesus’ teachings and miracles sought to kill Him instead.
So Jesus and his followers went into hiding for a few months, to a wilderness area named after Joseph’s son, Ephraim.
But Passover is beginning – one of the required feasts of the Jews, and so Jesus, despite the threats and warrants out for His arrest, is back in Bethany, a suburb on the outskirts of Jerusalem.
This was likely a “thank You” banquet given in Jesus’ honor after raising Lazarus from the dead. We know that Lazarus was at the table with Jesus. Martha is saying “thank You” in her own way by offering her gift of hospitality. And here is Mary, lavishly wasting the rarest of perfumes to anoint His feet.
For the super-wealthy they say that it’s not the gifts that cost a lot of money that are truly valued, but the gifts that are one of a kind and irreplaceable. Lazarus, Martha, and Mary may have been in that class of folks, and anointing Jesus’ feet – which would have already been washed by a slave or servant upon His arrival and needing no further care – anointing His feet with oil may have been that kind of a gift of gratitude – a precious, priceless, excessive thanks offering – from Mary to the Man Who brought her brother and provider and guardian back to her from the dead.
I think about such lavish wastefulness from this grateful woman and it makes me wonder, “How grateful am I? How thankful are we?”
Jesus may not have brought our brother or provider or guardian back from the dead. But He’s brought us back from the dead. Once we’ve trusted in Christ we are born again! New creations! Everything that we’ve ever done, dead and gone. Everything that’s ever been done to us, dead and gone. “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17) And so believers in Christ are children of God and children of Light! “For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night.” (1 Thessalonians 5:5) Yes, “I will be your Father, and you will be My sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty.” (2 Samuel 7:14 and 2 Corinthians 6:18) And our sins have been absolutely forgiven, when we belong to Jesus. He sees us as absolutely holy and righteous when He looks at and thinks of us. For, “You were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:11) And it is all God’s work from start to finish. Yes, “God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.” (Ephesians 2:8)
This is what faith and trust in Christ has done in our lives: Everything’s new! In addition I know He’s brought some of us through cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. He’s brought different ones of us through hard times with our parents or our kids, through challenging trials with our husbands or our wives. He’s carried us through job losses and the deaths of loved ones and our own addictions and the addictions of those close to us… And so much more!
Has it been adequate to leave it all at, “Thank You, Lord”? Has that been enough?
Maybe you never thought about it before. Think about it now. Is that a good enough “thank you” for all the Lord has done for us in this life? Is it a good enough “thank you” for all the Lord has done for us and promised us in the life to come? No. I don’t think so. We ought to be more lavish. Truth be told, we need to be excessive! [Shred some more of the offering.]
Here are some lavish ways we can thank God day by day by day:
1) We can repent of our sins and put our trust in Jesus Christ. As Doug and Sue Ann Jacobs and Neil and Heidi Frazer and I were reminded again and again across the presbytery meeting we attended together, the Lord Jesus’ Great Commission to us has not been to “Go and make disciples… baptizing them… and teaching [them] all Jesus’ commands,” but to “Go and make disciples… baptizing them… and teaching [them] to obey all Jesus’ commands.” (See Matthew 28:19-20) The Bible tells us that the message of the gospel is “repent and believe”, not just “believe”. And Jesus tells His disciples that it is “Those who accept My commandments and obey them are the ones who love Me.” (John 14:21)
So if you’re doing something or involved in anything that God has said hurts Him or hurts others or hurts yourself – anything the Bible calls sin, thank Him lavishly for His great salvation and repent! Leave such dark and death-bringing behaviors behind you and exercise the grace God has shown us in Christ.
2) Spend time reading the Bible every day and praying. Reading the Bible is God talking to you. Praying is you talking to God. If you are truly grateful, show it by spending time with Him!
Worship is a part of that, too. That’s 3) Don’t miss Worship. Protestantism knows Worship to be the gift and blessing from God that the Bible says it is. And yet that has led many in our day to then see Worship as optional. Now, maybe I’m preaching to the choir, so to speak, because we’re all here together in Worship, but I know that many modern Christians make it to Worship when they can, as long as they don’t have something more important. But what could be more important than worshiping God? Did we make ourselves, or did something “more important” make us? Have we created our own food, or did something “more important” make our food for us? That we are have the parents we do helping make us who we are, or if we’ve been able to have kids, or are able to walk and talk when so many others cannot, did we do these things for ourselves, or did something “more important” do these things for us? No. God alone did all these wonders and more! Wherever you are, thank Him by never missing Worship, and spend time talking to Him and hearing from Him in the Word and prayer every day.
4) Tithe. It may not be $24,000.00. (Of course, if God’s been generous to you it may be much, much more!) The tithe is a practice God instituted in the Old Testament and that continued in the New, so that His people could openly declare their recognition that everything they were and everything they had came from God and would be used for His purposes. The first 10% of their income – whether that was grain or wine or goat milk or meat-from-their-slaughtered-animals or money given for rents or purchases or other payments – the first 10% of their income – not the last 10% (if there was enough left over) or even some 10% given after the big bills had been paid – no, 10% off the top of their income was to be given to the Sanctuary, whether the Tabernacle or the Temple or the synagogue or the apostles or the church as evidence that they recognized it all comes from Him, and as a commitment that they would spend the remaining 90% as He would have them spend it, as well. Let’s us thank Him that way, as well.
5) Of course, we can thank God Who has given and given and given so lavishly to us by serving and sharing with those in need around us. That may be buying food and dropping it off to neighbors in need or into the Food Pantry barrel outside of Fellowship Hall; that may be offering rides to those who can’t drive themselves to the store or to the doctors or to Bible studies or to Worship; that may be offering to babysit for a young couple who can’t afford it; it can include serving God and our community through ministries here: There are so many needs around the church just waiting for you to offer yourselves, whatever your gifts, abilities, availability, and callings!
6) Raise your hands when you praise Him at home or in Worship. Or you can get down on your knees. (Don’t do this alone if you need someone’s help to get you back up. J) Have you ever laid down flat on your face in honor of our Father’s greatness? This isn’t a Traditional-thing or a Contemporary-thing. These are thanksgiving things! Do it at home if you don’t want to do it here. But thank the Lord by praising Him with your whole body! And one more, (though there are many, many, many)
7) Don’t keep your stories of God’s goodness to yourself. Make your love and thanks more public by telling everyone about Him at church, and to your neighbors and friends at school, and with your co-workers… See it as introducing Jesus around to those you know, the same way you would introduce your earthly parents or earthly family members or friends. If you are living out your gratitude to God lavishly and excessively people around you will notice. Telling them about the Lord just makes clear to them why you do what you do.
Teacher, preacher, theologian, pastor, and author H. A. Ironside is said to have had this experience in a crowded restaurant. There were few tables open and just as Ironside was about to begin his meal, a man approached and asked if he could join him. Ironside invited his to have a seat. Then, as was his custom, Ironside bowed his head in prayer. When he opened his eyes, the other man asked, “Do you have a headache?” Ironside replied, “No, I don’t.” The other man asked, “Well, is there something wrong with your food?” Ironside replied, “No, I was simply thanking God as I always do before I eat.”
The man said, “Oh, you’re one of those, are you? Well, I want you to know I never give thanks. I earn my money by the sweat of my brow and I don’t have to give thanks to anybody when I eat. I just start right in!” Ironside said, “Yes, you’re just like my dog. That’s what he does, too!”