April 6, 2025 Fifth Sunday in Lent The text is John 12:1-8.
-o0o-
1 Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 2 There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. 3 Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” 6 (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) 7 Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. 8 You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”
-o0o-
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You, El Adonai, my rock and my Redeemer.
Grace, mercy, and peace are yours from God the Father and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Differing versions of this morning’s New Testament story appear in each of the four Gospels. In the Synoptics, Jesus is anointed by an unnamed woman; only in John does Mary pour perfumed oil on Jesus’ feet. In Mathhew, Mark, and Luke it is either “some people” or the Pharisees who object to this anointing; only in John does Judas appear. In two of the four versions Jesus is anointed by pouring oil on his head; in Luke and John, it is Jesus’ feet that are anointed, and in both of these gospels, either Mary or an unnamed woman wipes them with her hair. The story is set in the homes of different people in the several versions, and while three name Bethany as the town in which this event takes place, Luke writes that it occurred in Galilee. I hope that clears everything up for us! But, to keep things simple, let’s just focus on John’s account this morning; otherwise, we’re likely to get confused and potentially miss the important message contained in these narratives.
John tells us that Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead some time before the event he recounts for us this morning. After Lazarus’ resurrection, this and the other signs and miracles that Jesus had performed were beginning to more and more unnerve the Jewish religious authorities as well as sectarian leaders. There was great concern that the Roman authorities might militarily react if too large a portion of the Jewish citizenry decided to take to the streets in support of Jesus and his mission. Having heard that there was a plot to have him killed, Jesus withdrew to Ephraim, a town abutting the wilderness, some distance from Lazarus’ home in Bethany. He remained there for a time, but six days before the Passover, he decided that he must return to Jerusalem to fulfill what he knows must happen to him there. On the way Jesus stopped at the home of Lazarus and his sisters Martha and Mary, ostensibly to see how the recently dead Lazarus was faring; and perhaps to provide additional teaching to the three of them, his dear friends. John invites us to join them as they dine in their house in Bethany.
And it is during this time of fellowship that one of the most poignant events in Jesus’ ministry occurs. While Martha attends to ensuring that proper hospitality is provided, her sister Mary pours 300 denarii’s worth of perfumed ointment on Jesus’ feet. Before we delve into the significance of this act and the social and cultural norms it flouts, perhaps we might want to put into perspective the value of the ointment that Mary pours over Jesus’ feet. A denarius was the accepted day’s pay for a laborer in Jesus’ time. If we were to determine the current cost of the perfumed nard Mary poured out and use the current minimum wage rate of fifteen dollars an hour, 300 denarii would equal around $36,000 in today’s money. If John isn’t using hyperbole and the value he ascribes to the perfume is accurate, this is an incredibly extravagant anointing! Even taking his dubious reasoning into account Judas kind of makes a point here, about the cost of the ointment that was rather wastefully poured over Jesus’ feet.
This perfumed ointment was made from the concentrated oil of the spikenard plant, and it was available only from the region of the Himalayas; it was most probably imported from India. It was used in many cultures as an anointing balm in the preparation of the dead for burial. Although, thirty-six thousand dollars’ worth seems a bit excessive to be used to anoint the feet of one living person!
So, beyond the incredible cost of the perfumed anointing oil Mary used, there are a few cultural and social taboos that seem to have been ignored during this occasion; as well as some subtle references to future events. A pious Jewish woman would never “let down her hair” in public, this was considered vastly inappropriate. Secondly, a woman would never touch the body of a man to whom she was nor married, especially not his feet. But going so far as to wipe the excess anointing oil with her hair…that was scandalous! And it’s not much of a leap to make the connection between these actions and what is to come. Six days later, when Jesus is at the Last Supper with his disciples, he washes their feet and dries them with the towel he has placed around his waist. The love, servanthood, and devotion that Mary expressed for Jesus, he mirrors in his willingness to humble himself before his followers.
In direct opposition to Mary’s devotion to the soon-to-be crucified Jesus, is Judas’ objection to what he views as the unnecessary waste of the value of the perfumed ointment that Mary anoints Jesus with. While he does make a good point that the money used to purchase the nard might be put to better use, John makes it clear that Judas’ protest doesn’t arise from a genuine concern for the welfare of the needy. While we will come to learn that he is the one who will betray Jesus in six days, John also lets us know that Judas has been stealing money from the common purse; that is, he was embezzling from the funds that the disciples kept to finance their mutual needs. So, his objection to the reckless expenditure for the anointing balm wasn’t out of concern for the poor, but that the money spent was going to be out of his grasp. Jesus mocks Judas’ deceptive objection to the expenditure, reminding him that the struggle of the poor exits mainly because people like Judas care more about themselves than they do for those in need.
All of this serves to bring us to the point that John strives to make in his telling of this story of genuine love, devotion, and discipleship; and how that is contrasted by actions that display unfaithful deceit and the desire for personal enrichment. Mary’s extravagant expression of servanthood, affection, and thanksgiving for the sacrifice that Jesus is soon to make on behalf of the world is the example for all who place their faith in Christ to follow. Judas’ self-serving and untruthful concern for the needy is the epitome of the behavior that we are cautioned to strenuously avoid.
All of God’s children are called to serve others with the same extravagant generosity of Mary, while doing our level best to not fall into ways of thinking and acting that place our own needs and desires above those we are called to provide for. In a moment we will welcome the newest member of God’s family, calling upon the presence of the Holy Spirit to bless Olivia with the extravagant love that God promises for all who follow Christ. We will make promises of our own; to nurture and support her as she grows to live as a faithful child of God. Let us strive to serve as examples for her and for all the baptized little ones who depend on the extravagant love that is demonstrated by those to whom they look for guidance. As Olivia grows, let it be the words and actions of the faithful that will inspire her to imitate Mary’s selfless service; and may she always be reminded that she is God’s beloved child, and that in God’s eyes, she is priceless.
And may she always know that, God is Good, all the time. All the time, God is Good. Amen.