Lent V, Cycle C

March 28, 2004

"A Gift of True Love"

The Rev. Dr. David M. Wendel

Saint Luke’s Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Lessons:  Isaiah 43:16-21;  Philippians 3:4b-14;  St. John 12:1-8

In some ways, this may seem one of the most irrelevant, distant accounts in the Bible--this gospel lesson for today, which speaks of Mary, anointing Jesus' feet, with a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard--then wiping his feet, with her hair.  It can seem, irrelevant, and distant--because when we give a dinner party, today--who washes the guests feet, as they did in Jesus' time?  Mary, in a sense, was simply washing Jesus' feet--yet pushing it to the extreme.  In another sense, Mary was employing the customary practice of showing honor and respect, by anointing her master with oil.  The 23rd Psalm says, "Thou anointest my head with oil."  But, Mary was not anointed Jesus' head, with oil--she humbled herself and would only dare to anoint his feet! And not with some cheap olive oil, but with costly perfume!  With an ointment that was worth three hundred day's wages!  And not only that, but to use her hair, to wipe his feet, suggested an intimacy, and a closeness that would have offended many in Jesus' time.  A woman's hair was considered one of her most sensual traits--which is why women--respectable women, would never go out of the house with her hair unbound and loose.  That was the sign of an immoral woman.  But Mary appeared unconcerned about any of that.  She was concerned only, with showing deep, intimate, humble respect and love for Jesus, her Lord and Master--without regard for what others might think!  All in all, this happening in the life of Jesus, recounted for us in the Gospel of John, chapter 12, can seem, like a very ancient, primitive occurrence, that is far removed from us, and from our experience, and yes, from our understanding.  And yet, is it so far removed, after all?  Is it just ancient, and irrelevant? 

     I would suggest that this passage, indeed, speaks very directly, and powerfully, to us, and our time--challenging us to see in the actions of Mary, a challenge, to us, and to all Christians today!  A challenge, in what way?

     A challenge to leave behind our practical, pragmatic mindsets, when considering our love for Jesus--a challenge to love our Lord and Savior, with a love that calculates no cost--but gives it's all--and regrets only, that there is not more to give!  In our world, and society, and culture--that is a challenge, indeed!  And a challenge to which many Christians--will never respond.

     Take our building program, for example--completed now a few years ago.  As our members were being asked to consider giving sacrificially, to expand this church building to the glory of God, and the service of Christ our Lord--many responded, making pledges and commitments that to most, would've seemed, extravagant, and to some, just irresponsible.  One of our members, at that time, stopped coming to church--and in time, resigned his membership, citing as the cause, "The wastefulness of this congregation, raising all this money for a building, when there are poor, hungry, homeless folks in need."  Now, no one disagrees, that there is a ministry to be conducted, for the sake of the poor, the hungry and the homeless.  We have a food pantry, we donate to the World Hunger Appeal, we have supported, with funds and in-kind donations,  the Marian House Soup Kitchen, the homeless medical clinic, the Red Cross Homeless shelter.  But to donate to, and support such ministries, in no way competes with the fact, that we also desire to show love and honor to our Lord, by gifts, sacrifices, and offerings that, yes, at times, by some, might be seen as extravagant and wasteful!  Certainly, there are those who, like Judas, might criticize the building of a church building--the renovation of a sanctuary for worship, the purchase of a gold chalice and paten for the Lord's Supper, as extravagant--not necessary--but, as Jesus said, "we always have the poor with us--but, we do not always have Jesus--we do not always have opportunities to show Jesus, our love--in ways that we don't calculate the cost, but give, purely out of our deep love and devotion and gratitude.  Throughout history, the building of a beautiful church building, or a cathedral;  the crafting or donation of fine communion vessels;  the purchase of a musical instrument to lead the faithful in worship--have been simply, the way that we continue to kneel at the feet of Jesus, and anoint him with costly perfume, and wipe his feet with our hair!  Because Jesus is not with us, in the same way that he was with Mary and Martha and Lazarus and Judas--we have to look for other ways to show Him our love and respect and dedication.  And yes, we can show that, in our love for our neighbor, and our care for the littlest and the least in our world, whose faces reflect and represent the face of our Lord.  But because of the sacrifice Jesus made for us, on the cross…because we understand and appreciate our Lord's bloody, painful passion and death, for us, and for our eternal salvation--it is fitting, it is incumbent upon us, that we seek to show our love and devotion, to our Lord!  And we do this, not to earn salvation.  We do this, not as a show, to have a bigger or better church.  We do this, not to gain human recognition.  We do it, because, like Mary, out of love, we want to love Jesus, extravagantly.  We do it, because, like Mary, we want to love Jesus sacrificially--sometimes, even without concern for the cost, the impact, the reasonableness of our gift.  Because, in some ways, that's what true love is.  It is God's love, for us;  a love that was--is--so great, so deep, that the Father was willing to give His own Son, as a sacrifice--and not a clean, tidy, humane execution--but a humiliating, tortuous, messy crucifixion.  God shows His love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  And while it was a costly death, while it cost the Father, the very life of His Son, that was not too great a price to pay.  God gave that extravagant, magnanimous gift, without regard for the cost.  And in that gift, we see God's love--true love for his children.  And whether we, humans, ever love truly, in response--is open to discussion.  But no where could true love be more fully expressed--than a gift, like Mary's--a gift, given out of love.  A gift, of the most precious thing she possessed--giving it all to Jesus--without stopping to consider;  without stopping to weigh the cost;  without stopping to ask, "Maybe I could give this to Jesus--or maybe I could use it for something else..."  We come the closest to expressing true love, to Jesus, when we give as Mary gave--when our hearts overflow with love, and we give, all that we have, and all that we are--to Jesus.  That's what happened, when we prepared to build this church building--as a gift to Jesus--hearts just overflowed with love, and we gave, extravagant, perhaps unrealistic, some might say wasteful, gifts, of money, and time, and skills.  That's what's happened, time and time again, when someone has called and said, "Pastor, I want to donate the bell for the bell-tower", or "Pastor, I want to donate a $1000 to the new organ fund", or "Pastor, I've received a bonus at work--what special need is there at the church". 

     And, it will happen, again, in just a week or two, when, contrary to the dominant culture around us--many of us, will give the most precious gift we have, to Jesus--as we sacrifice our valuable time, to be with Him, as we walk, again, with Him, into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday--to the Upper Room on Maundy Thursday, along the path of sorrow to Golgotha and the cross on Good Friday--so that we may also be with Him, on Easter Sunday.  This, too, is to anoint Jesus with costly perfume--as we offer to him, the wonderful fragrance, of our presence--as we offer to Him, our very presence--giving of ourselves during Holy Week--without concern for the time, for our busy schedules--without concern for what else we could be doing--knowing only, that as our hearts overflow with love, for our Lord's passion, death, and resurrection--we have to be with Him!  There is no where else we would rather be--than walking with our Lord, standing by our Lord, being with our Lord, as He accomplishes, our salvation.  To be sure, some would look at us, spending all that time at church during Holy Week, and say, "What a waste!  Why dawdle away all that time sitting in church?  Couldn't these Christians do something more productive--more helpful with their time--than sit in church service after church service?"  Of course--some might think so-but just as Jesus said to Judas, "The poor you have always with you--but you do not always have me";  we do not always have the opportunity to celebrate Holy Week, and our Lord's Passion--indeed, it only comes once a year!  Which is why, when the Great and Holy Week comes, we don't hold back!  We don't calculate how much time we're spending in church, and what else we might be doing!  Our hearts overflow with love, and we come--we give of our precious, valuable time--to be with our Lord.  And it becomes, once again, a costly perfume--an expensive ointment, which we give, to our Lord, Himself.  We hope… a gift of true love--given to the Lord of love.

     In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.