Sunday, April 1, 2012 A Brief Journey with John, Part 2: Extravagant Love John 12:1 – 8

 

1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.
2 So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table.
3  Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said,
5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”
6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.
7 Jesus said, “Leave her alone, she intended to keep it for the day of my burial.
8 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.” John 12:1-8 (ESV)

- In our passage from the Gospel of John, Jesus is visiting the home of Lazarus, whom he raised from the dead, which was also the home of Mary and Martha.

- It is Mary of Bethany who receives the special honor of being singled out to represent all of the grateful hearts that came to adore Jesus because of his earthly ministry.

- It was the Sunday before Passover. According to John, it was on Monday that Jesus rode on the donkey's colt into Jerusalem to the shouts of:

- "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest!" And the people spread out palm branches on the road before him.

- But Sunday Jesus ate supper as a guest of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus at Bethany.

- Before raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus had been a welcome and honored guest in their home. With the raising of Lazarus, he was a more welcome and especially honored guest.

- Since Lazarus was reclining with Jesus at the table like an honored guest would have, then it is fairly safe for us to assume that this was a celebration dinner. Perhaps in celebration of the miracle which took place only a couple of weeks before hand.

- The characters of Mary and Martha presented by John in his gospel are consistent with their characters as presented by Luke in chapter 10 of his gospel. Martha is serving, while Mary is paying attention Jesus.

- It is the kind of attention that Mary is giving to Jesus on which we need to focus.

- Mary does two things in verse three that are shocking: (1) she took about a pound of spikenard perfume oil, which was extremely precious, and anointed the feet of Jesus; (2) she used her hair to wipe his feet.

- Spikenard essential oil is highly regarded as a calming, sedative, stabilizing oil. The rhizome of the tender aromatic herb, which is covered by a tuft of soft light-brown 'rootlets', produces the plant's essential oil.

- Native to the Himalayan mountains, the plant grows wild in India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sikkim, at elevations between 11,000 and 17,000 feet.

- These facts explain why Spikenard was very precious in ancient times. The amount Mary had was worth about one year's wages for a laborer.
- Spikenard essential oil is used in modern aromatherapy as one of regulating the actions of the nervous system and the heart.

- Spikenard helps sooth anxiety, and like Myrrh, helps promote a sense of peace.

- These facts help us to understand why spikenard was prized as a burial ointment. Not only would it cover up the initial smells of decay, but it would also assist in the grieving process.

- The external application of Spikenard acts like a sedative by rubbing it gently over the heart.

- Spikenard Oil may also be supportive in cases of allergic skin reactions, and can sooth, nourish, and regenerate the skin for some people. It also is useful in the first aid of minor skin abrasions, bumps and bruises. Finally, the oil has been noted to be one of the few essential oils to assist with dandruff.

- Is it any wonder that spikenard oil was so highly prized in the ancient world?

- So Mary's first action is extremely shocking and it's shocking because virtually everyone would have interpreted her action as tremendously wasteful.

- Dare I say that if someone were to do something similar today many among us would react the same way?

- The second thing Mary did was to wipe the feet of Jesus with her hair.

- In ancient times a woman kept her hair up and covered as a sign of her modesty and respect for the wandering eyes of men. Just as do many Islamic women and women of certain Christian sects today.

- A woman's long hair represented a part of her feminine beauty to be shown and shared privately with her husband.

- In order to wipe the feet of Jesus with her hair, Mary would've had to uncover and let down her hair.

- Her actions here were shocking because people would've seen them as scandalous and shameful.

- But Jesus didn't see her actions that way at all and we will get there in a few moments.

- Now, Judas Iscariot was among the disciples who were present at this special supper and Judas fixed his attention on Mary's wasteful use of the spikenard rather than the more shocking attention that Mary paid to Jesus feet with her hair.

- Be that as it may, Judas the betrayer likely still voiced many of the feelings and thoughts of those present.

- However, as we have already read, Jesus was about to praise Mary's actions.

- Jesus praised Mary's actions because he understood them as an expression of her devotion & devotion cannot be measured in dollars and cents, even though some people seem to think that it can.

- Judas, we are told, was not concerned about the money because it could have been given to the poor or because Mary's actions were wasteful.

- Judas was concerned about the money because he was a thief.

- Jesus rebuke of Judas was on two levels. On the first level, Jesus rebuke calls to mind that the unusual expenses incurred at funerals are NOT normally seen as extravagant or improper but are accepted as part of the normal process of dealing with death.

 - On the second level of his rebuke of Judas, Jesus alluded to Deuteronomy 15:11 & I want to read that verse in context, verses 7 to 11. Listen to this:

- 7 “If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother,
8 but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be.
9 Take care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart and you say, ‘The seventh year, the year of release is near,’ and your eye look grudgingly on your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he cry to the Lord against you, and you be guilty of sin.
10 You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake.
11 For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’" Deut 15:7-11 (ESV)

- While it's unusual for us to question the expenses of a funeral, I wonder how often you or I scorn the extravagant gifts of others because, like Judas, we have coveted them for ourselves.

- How often have we pilfered the money-box that belongs to Jesus?

- When we show contempt for others because of their extravagant giving to the Lord or their gifts to the poor.

- When we keep our hands closed to the needs of others while the Lord has so generously provided for us, then we are like Judas.

- In his rebuke of Judas, Jesus was giving Judas an opportunity to repent. He was calling Judas's attention to the sin in his heart because Judas was not concerned for the poor, his only concern was himself. Not only was he a thief, but he was a liar as well.

- It seems as if there are only two options for us when it comes to Jesus.

- We can either come to him as Mary did, moved with adoration and thanksgiving, bringing all our costliest gifts, laying them at his feet;

- Or we can choose to be self-centered, greedy, money-box- pilfering, lying common thieves, like Judas Iscariot.

- The choice is up to us. Our actions can either represent repentant adoration worthy of heaven, or the fast-track to the front of the line that leads to hell.

- Greed is selfishly wasteful, but unselfishly showing extravagant love for Jesus is never wasteful.

- That brings me to today's question.

- According to John, why did Jesus commend Mary and reprimand Judas?

- Jesus commended Mary and reprimanded Judas because Mary loved Jesus extravagantly whereas Judas stole from Jesus greedily while accusing Mary being wasteful.

- We need to understand today that it is never wasteful to show our love for Jesus in a costly manner.

- When we bring to the Lord and extravagant offering from our heart because we love and adore him, he receives it graciously.

- Our verse for memorization and meditation this week reminds us that when we are generous with the poor we are obedient to the Lord's command and our gifts to the poor are gifts to him.

- "For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’" Deut 15:11 (ESV)

- And our take-home truth for this week is this:

- Greed is selfishly wasteful, but unselfishly showing extravagant love for Jesus is never wasteful.