March 24, 2006

WHAT A WASTE!

Mark 14:1-11

Did you ever love someone so much you thought your heart was going to burst? And then, did you ever try and find the perfect gift to express that love; some gift or grand gesture that would express all that is in your overflowing heart?

That was the dilemma of the unnamed woman in the account we just read (Mark 14:1-11). Actually, she is unnamed in Mark’s gospel and also in Matthew’s, but John gives us her name. It is Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. She and Jesus had a special friendship. She had sat at his feet, listening to his words when he visited in their home. She had stood by the tomb of her brother Lazarus when Jesus called him out of the grave. Now, she had agonized for days to find some way to express all the love that she had in her heart for him. If she was her sister Martha, she could have put on a wonderful meal. But she wanted something different, something more; something that was uniquely hers. Her feelings of love were intensified and made more urgent by the sense of looming danger and catastrophe. She had heard Jesus speaking of rejection, suffering and even death. She recognized that  she might never get another opportunity to give the gift that will say all that was in her heart.

As she wrestled with the question, her mind kept going to the jar of perfume she kept hidden in her room. We’re not sure where she acquired such a treasure. Nard is a perfume made from the root of a plant indigenous to India. It was extremely expensive. It wasn’t available at the local market. Only rarely was such perfume available for sale when a merchant arrived from distant lands. It is possible that it was an heirloom, passed on from her mother. Possibly she had laid it away, saving it for her own wedding night. But it was far and away the most expensive single thing she owned, worth almost a year’s wages. Finally her heart quickened with her decision. No other gift would do! And tonight Jesus was going to be having dinner at a neighbor’s home. Tonight was the night!

And so it was, that evening, that Mary made her way through the assembled guests until she came to Jesus, reclining with others around the low table. Her hands trembled with nervousness, but her heart lifted with joy in anticipation of the moment of giving. The inquisitive gaze of the other guests almost intimidated her into flight. But she pressed on with renewed determination. As Jesus looked up with his own question in his eyes, she moved quickly. Snapping the narrow neck off the jar, she proceeded to pour it slowly and lovingly over his head and then his feet, until the container was empty. Within seconds the entire room was filled with the lovely, sweet aroma of the perfume. It was an unimaginable extravagance; the extravagance of a love that could not be contained and which cried out to be expressed.

But such gestures are never without controversy. In this case the controversy was not long in erupting. A buzz of comments and reactions came from around the table as people craned their necks to see the source of the aroma and to discern what had happened. The murmur of curiosity and comment turned quickly into questions and exclamations of indignation. “Nard! A whole jar! Do you have any idea how much that costs? What a waste! Think how many poor people could have been fed with that money!”

Her original flush of pleasure in the joy of giving turned rapidly into feelings of confusion, embarrassment and even shame. Had she done something wrong? Was her gift in fact inappropriate? She stepped back, wishing for the ground to swallow her up, to hide her from the accusing eyes. But then she looked into Jesus’ eyes, and she saw him smile. Then he spoke, in that voice she loved so well. His words made her feel as though the perfume were being poured back over her own soul. “She has done a beautiful thing…she did what she could…wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, people will remember and talk about this gift she gave to me tonight.”

Tell me, what do you think about that story? How would you have assessed Mary’s actions if you had been sitting at the table that night? I would like to think that I would have been spiritually sensitive and been thrilled by the extravagance of Mary’s gift. But there’s a part of me that wonders if I might have been like the disciples and responded with a word of criticism. “We could have used that money in the building fund. What a waste!” We are not always sure what to do with the extravagance of a heart filled with love for God. We have become satisfied with our carefully measured moderation. “Moderation in all things,” we say, “but especially in matters of spiritual devotion.” But there was nothing moderate or measured in Mary’s gift. She gave it all. And Jesus said, “She has done a beautiful thing.”

Ponder that thought, but put it on the back burner for a few moments. In this first section of chapter 14, Mark has once again given us one of his narrative sandwiches. It is a literary technique that is used to communicate a strong thematic link between two events or to present a deliberate contrast. In the opening two verses of the chapter, Mark tells us about the malicious determination of the religious leaders to put Jesus to death. Their mind is made up. They only require an opportunity, a “sly way” to arrest him without provoking a riot.

After that introduction, Mark goes on to narrate the story of the anointing at Bethany that we’ve just been looking at. In verse 10-11, however, Mark comes back to his original story line. Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over. Judas has presented them with their opportunity, their “sly way” to seize him.

Judas remains an enigma to me. Here is a man who has spent three years in the company of Jesus. He has listened to him preach. He has seen his miracles. He has sat with him at meals, and walked the paths of Galilee and the roads of Judea with him. He has been part of the chosen band of Twelve. In fact, we are told that the others trusted him to the degree that they made him their treasurer. Yet somehow, through all of that, the truth never sank in. He never allowed Jesus to touch his heart or transform his soul. He held back, always reserving judgment, always calculating, always measuring the ground ahead for personal opportunity.

I don’t know what Judas’ driving motivations were, and why he followed Jesus in the first place. Was he driven by personal ambition and the lust for an earthly kingdom? Was it the fading hope of such kingdom glory that drove him to his actions? We can only speculate. But somewhere along the line, his calculating, uncommitted heart hardened into a heart of unbelief, in spite of all he had seen and witnessed of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Finally he added it all up and made his calculations, and he made a terrible choice. He turned his back on Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God and he went to betray him to the priests. All that he had seen, heard, learned and experienced, he threw it away. And what did he get in return? Verse 12 says it so starkly, so pathetically; they promised to give him money. I want to remind you of the title of this sermon? What a waste! Was ever such a terrible bargain struck, or such an awful contract concluded?

Can I press home the irony here? When Mary presented her extravagant gift, John’s gospel tells us that it was Judas who led the chorus of criticism. It may well have been Judas who spoke the words, “What a waste!” What irony! But there is more. There is more irony hidden in the Greek vocabulary that I discovered this week. In John 17:12, Jesus, in his prayer to his Father, referred to Judas as a “son of perdition.” Guess what? The Greek word translated “perdition” is the very same word that in Mark 14:4 is used in the phrase “Why this waste?”

Now let’s bring these two stories to the front burners of the stove at the same time. Here is my question for you. Does either one of these stories feel a little bit autobiographical to you? If so, which one is it? If someone were to accuse you of wasting something, what would it be?

Maybe you, like Judas, have had multiple exposures to Jesus, his truth, his love, his salvation. Maybe you grew up (or are growing up) in a Christian home. You can never remember not knowing about Jesus. Or maybe you didn’t grow up in a Christian home, but you’ve been in church and heard many evangelistic sermons. The people around you can’t see the difference. They think you’re one of the faithful. But you’ve always held something back, something reserved, some reluctance to let go and trust him, to give him all your heart. To turn from the brilliant light of the gospel and plunge back into the darkness…What a waste! That surely must be the greatest waste of all. Is that your story? I trust it is not. Or if it has been your story up until now that you will turn and make a different choice while you still can.

What about the other story, Mary’s story? Has anyone ever accused you of being too extravagant in your love and service for Christ? Has anyone ever criticized you for giving too much time and too much money and too much energy for Christ’s cause? Has anyone ever felt the need to caution you to be more moderate in your love for God? I remember when I was in seminary there was a brilliant student in the class ahead of me. He had tremendous ability in languages, so much so that they made him a teaching assistant in Greek. When the teacher was sick, he would teach the class! He was also an excellent preacher. During his final year, he announced that he was planning to go to Africa as a missionary. I still remember overhearing a conversation between two of my fellow students. “I can’t believe he’s actually going to go to Africa! He’s so brilliant. He has so much to offer. We need men like him in the church in America. Go to Africa? What a waste!”

The world will never understand such extravagance. Even fellow Christians may well join in the chorus of critics. But there is One who understands the extravagance of love, and welcomes it. Leave her alone…she has done a beautiful thing…What beautiful thing have you done to express your love for Christ?