Lent 5- Mary pours out her love- Jn 12:1-8
The second time we see Mary at the feet of Jesus is when her brother Lazarus has died. She had cared for her brother, Lazarus, as his illness progressed. At some point they realized that Lazarus was not going to recover. Their attempts to help him weren’t enough. They called for Jesus hoping he could work a miracle and save him, but he didn't come. Lazarus died and they entered into mourning. … Mary had been grieving for 4 days before Jesus arrived. There we meet a grief-stricken Mary. In John 11:32 we read
"When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’"
Having lost her brother, Mary wept at the feet of Jesus, … and Jesus wept with her. …
The third time we see Mary at the feet of Jesus is in today’s Gospel reading. Mary is in an incredible situation. She is at a banquet. She is once again eating with her previously dead and buried brother, who is now alive. Jesus, who brought him back to life, is also at the table. … How would Mary feel at that table, watching her brother and Jesus laughing and sharing memories? This would have been a moment she would have thought she would never experience again. … What would you do? How could you possibly thank Jesus in that kind of a situation? He brought her brother back from the dead- out of the grave!
I imagine that part of what was going on inside Mary is that she caught a glimpse of who Jesus really is. Before, he was a good friend. He was insightful about Scripture, and he was a good man- the best man she ever men. But now, she saw that he is not just a carpenter. He is not just their friend. He is more. Mary caught a glimpse of Jesus when he gave her brother back to her. In that moment, she caught a glimpse of the healing and restoration of the Kingdom of God. She saw the Kingdom of God breaking into the world through Jesus.
So Mary asks herself how she can show Jesus her gratitude. How can she respond to a man that has brought her brother back to life? How can she respond to a man that has shown her God’s kingdom?
Mary had wet Jesus' feet with her tears when her brother, Lazarus, was dead. Now she soaks his feet with expensive perfume- and she wipes them with her hair. … Remember that this is a Middle Eastern context and women usually kept their hair covered out of modesty. A woman would usually only show their hair to their husband or family, definitely not to single men. It is incredibly intimate and incredibly inappropriate in this culture. It is scandalous. To Mary, she is holding nothing back to show her gratitude. She has thrown all the customs out the window. All that matters to her is the intensity of her gratitude.
Mary poured perfume on Jesus feet worth a year’s wages- so in modern money this is $40,000 to $50,000 worth of perfume…. Maybe it was her savings? Perhaps it was her dowry? Maybe it doesn't even matter how much it's worth. It was her best. And maybe that's the point. We think so much in terms of money. That is Judas’ place in our story.
Judas heaps judgement on Mary. If we are honest, Judas gives voice to our practicality, our discomfort, and our cynicism. What a waste. How inappropriate. What a show off. …
The third time we see Mary at the feet of Jesus is in today’s Gospel reading. Mary is in an incredible situation. She is at a banquet. She is once again eating with her previously dead and buried brother, who is now alive. Jesus, who brought him back to life, is also at the table. … How would Mary feel at that table, watching her brother and Jesus laughing and sharing memories? This would have been a moment she would have thought she would never experience again. … What would you do? How could you possibly thank Jesus in that kind of a situation? He brought her brother back from the dead- out of the grave!
I imagine that part of what was going on inside Mary is that she caught a glimpse of who Jesus really is. Before, he was a good friend. He was insightful about Scripture, and he was a good man- the best man she ever men. But now, she saw that he is not just a carpenter. He is not just their friend. He is more. Mary caught a glimpse of Jesus when he gave her brother back to her. In that moment, she caught a glimpse of the healing and restoration of the Kingdom of God. She saw the Kingdom of God breaking into the world through Jesus.
So Mary asks herself how she can show Jesus her gratitude. How can she respond to a man that has brought her brother back to life? How can she respond to a man that has shown her God’s kingdom?
Mary had wet Jesus' feet with her tears when her brother, Lazarus, was dead. Now she soaks his feet with expensive perfume- and she wipes them with her hair. … Remember that this is a Middle Eastern context and women usually kept their hair covered out of modesty. A woman would usually only show their hair to their husband or family, definitely not to single men. It is incredibly intimate and incredibly inappropriate in this culture. It is scandalous. To Mary, she is holding nothing back to show her gratitude. She has thrown all the customs out the window. All that matters to her is the intensity of her gratitude.
Mary poured perfume on Jesus feet worth a year’s wages- so in modern money this is $40,000 to $50,000 worth of perfume…. Maybe it was her savings? Perhaps it was her dowry? Maybe it doesn't even matter how much it's worth. It was her best. And maybe that's the point. We think so much in terms of money. That is Judas’ place in our story.
Judas heaps judgement on Mary. If we are honest, Judas gives voice to our practicality, our discomfort, and our cynicism. What a waste. How inappropriate. What a show off. …
"Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?" (12:5)
… It is sad that Judas doesn't see what Mary sees. He is with Jesus day in and day out, but she has seen something that Judas has missed. … He doesn’t get the extravagance of worship. All he sees is a waste of money. … Care for the poor is very important. Jesus even says that we will find him by caring for the poor (Matt 25). But, we should also beware of making the poor into an idol. Worship is reserved for God alone (Ex 20:3). … It is out of deep worship of God that we find Christ in the poor and find the strength to serve them. If we turn the poor into an idol, we will use the poor to give us what only God can.
Mary gives everything to Jesus because she has caught a glimpse of who he really is. The perfume poured out is only a symbol of Mary pouring herself out in love to Jesus. It is an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual devotion. … That act challenges me. It makes me think about how often I ask what the bare minimum is. How much do I have to do to be considered a “good Christian”? What is the minimum standard I can meet and still be “let in”? What is the minimum I should give so that God will consider me good? What is the minimum amount of prayer per day? What is the minimum amount of Bible study I should do? … That is absolutely not what Mary is thinking. She is extravagantly giving everything. She is holding nothing back. She is pouring herself out at the feet of Jesus.
Mary offered everything to Jesus. Jesus defends Mary once again. The first time he defended Mary against Martha’s demand that she help her with the meal rather than sit at his feet and learn the ways of God. Now Jesus defends Mary from Judas’ accusations. He sees in her loving act a preparation for his death and burial. … His death would be a pouring out of himself in love for his Father, and (at the same time) it will be God’s pouring out in love for humanity. Maybe quoting a song sung in the Philippian community, Paul writes in his letter to the Philippians (2:7-8),
Mary gives everything to Jesus because she has caught a glimpse of who he really is. The perfume poured out is only a symbol of Mary pouring herself out in love to Jesus. It is an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual devotion. … That act challenges me. It makes me think about how often I ask what the bare minimum is. How much do I have to do to be considered a “good Christian”? What is the minimum standard I can meet and still be “let in”? What is the minimum I should give so that God will consider me good? What is the minimum amount of prayer per day? What is the minimum amount of Bible study I should do? … That is absolutely not what Mary is thinking. She is extravagantly giving everything. She is holding nothing back. She is pouring herself out at the feet of Jesus.
Mary offered everything to Jesus. Jesus defends Mary once again. The first time he defended Mary against Martha’s demand that she help her with the meal rather than sit at his feet and learn the ways of God. Now Jesus defends Mary from Judas’ accusations. He sees in her loving act a preparation for his death and burial. … His death would be a pouring out of himself in love for his Father, and (at the same time) it will be God’s pouring out in love for humanity. Maybe quoting a song sung in the Philippian community, Paul writes in his letter to the Philippians (2:7-8),
“[Jesus] made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!”
Mary poured her perfume on the one who left his heavenly riches to be poor among us, and who was going to pour out his life because of love.
After 4 days the body of Lazarus filled the air with its smell once the tomb was opened. Now the fragrance of the perfume Mary poured out on Jesus' feet filled the whole house. The fragrance of the outpoured life of the Son of God has filled the whole world. … And just as Mary smelled of the perfume because of her act of worship, so we have the fragrance of God's outpouring. Paul says in 2 Cor ch 2:15
After 4 days the body of Lazarus filled the air with its smell once the tomb was opened. Now the fragrance of the perfume Mary poured out on Jesus' feet filled the whole house. The fragrance of the outpoured life of the Son of God has filled the whole world. … And just as Mary smelled of the perfume because of her act of worship, so we have the fragrance of God's outpouring. Paul says in 2 Cor ch 2:15
"For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved...".
He says that we have the scent of Christ about us. … Lord, may that be so. … That also comes with a challenge. …
Mary didn’t think she was earning anything through her act. She didn’t do this so that Jesus would reward her devotion by raising Lazarus. She did this in response to what Jesus had already done. … I am challenged by Mary’s extravagant act of worship. … How do I respond to what Christ has done- to his pour himself out on the world through the cross- holding nothing back? … Any action I make in response to what he has done is not about earning anything- it is an act of gratitude for what he has already done. … But, what does it say when I just want to give the bare minimum in worship? … I suspect it says that I don’t really understand what he has done. … Mary caught a glimpse and she responded by pouring herself out in love- holding nothing back. … May we all see Jesus clearly, and respond with extravagance, knowing it is still nothing in comparison to his extravagant love poured out on us.
Mary didn’t think she was earning anything through her act. She didn’t do this so that Jesus would reward her devotion by raising Lazarus. She did this in response to what Jesus had already done. … I am challenged by Mary’s extravagant act of worship. … How do I respond to what Christ has done- to his pour himself out on the world through the cross- holding nothing back? … Any action I make in response to what he has done is not about earning anything- it is an act of gratitude for what he has already done. … But, what does it say when I just want to give the bare minimum in worship? … I suspect it says that I don’t really understand what he has done. … Mary caught a glimpse and she responded by pouring herself out in love- holding nothing back. … May we all see Jesus clearly, and respond with extravagance, knowing it is still nothing in comparison to his extravagant love poured out on us.
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