Dunbar United Church of Christ - March 21, 2010

I. The perfume that Lazarus’ sister Mary poured over Jesus’ feet was called spikenard -- nard for short. It was imported from the Himalayas used on special occasions. In today’s dollars the amount that Mary poured on Jesus’ feet -- a pound -- cost about 12,000 dollars.

II. Why did she do that? And why did Jesus let her? Isn’t it a waste? Judas said the money could have been used to feed the poor.

I remember when we were buying a table for the Parish House. Some wanted to buy a nice table -- made out of solid wood -- not a laminate. It would have been expensive -- maybe a thousand dollars.

Others said, “Think of all the people that expensive table could feed.” So we got the cheaper table.

But according to our reading this morning, would Jesus have said, “Get the nicer table -- the one out of solid wood. And feed the poor too -- do both.”?

III. As is usually the case with the Bible, things aren’t what they seem on the surface. We have two people contrasted with each other: Judas, one of the disciples, and Mary, a friend. The friend had greater faith than the disciple.

IV. In an editorial comment, the writer of John’s Gospel said Judas didn’t care about the poor. He was a thief and wanted the money for himself.

But Mary wanted to give Jesus everything she had.

Judas was calculating -- his religion was in his head. Mary’s religion was an expression of her heart.

V. The prophet Isaiah said that God is doing a new thing with us. He said: “Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?”

VI. Doesn’t that scare you? Because we like to do things like we used to do them. Each year, on our committees, we pass on our notes and procedures to the new committees -- so people can continue to do things the way they used to be done -- we tell the new committees to do things the old way.

This is how we do Maundy Thursday, or receive new members: we say -- “It’s how we’ve always done it.”

How safe is that? We guard ourselves against the new -- we protect ourselves from surprises. We calculate our faith -- it’s something of the head. But faith is more of the heart than the head -- and God is always doing a new thing.

I wonder what it is -- this new thing -- that God is planning for us.

Maybe we will learn, like Mary, to live from our hearts -- to give our whole lives to Jesus -- without counting the cost.