Musical Prelude and Service.

Isaiah 43:16-21 & John 12:1-11
I debated on whether to relate one of my stories of interacting with people who face greater economic challenges than me. Stopping on the streets to say a few words and respond to requests for assistance.
But the thing is, my responses in those instances are – to be frank inconsistent, and dependent on a host of factors. So, I m not sure how useful they are.
How do we address the reality of “the poor”? That question rightly or wrongly sits in the middle of any reflection around today’s scripture reading from the Gospel of John. But however we may resolve the dilemma, it cannot be to ignore the plight of those who are hungry.
To quote Mark Davis in his blog, Left Behind and Loving It, “anyone who quotes this verse to dissuade giving to the poor should be slapped.”
There is a lot going on in this passage and it speaks to a great many things, but giving up on helping those less fortunate is not one of them. This is a story of compassion and care. A story of recognizing who Jesus is and offering love and care in a moment fraught with anxiety.
I want to encourage you to sit for a moment with the image that is being evoked in this story. We hear a version of Jesus being anointed by a woman in several gospels, but today we listen to the story told by John. Jesus pays another visit to the family of Mary, Martha and Lazarus. Previously Jesus resurrected Lazarus from the dead. Now Lazarus sits with Jesus as they eat. Martha serves everyone in attendance, and Mary anoints Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume and wipes those feet with her hair.
Reflect on that scene for just a moment.
Not only is she pouring expensive perfume over his feet, but she is using her hair to cover his feet instead of a towel.
In recent years, I have considered whether as part of our Maundy Thursday services we should move from a hand washing ceremony to a more traditional foot washing. I have refrained as I am not sure people would be comfortable with the implied intimacy of that action. Perhaps I am wrong, although I know a number of people have expressed reservations at such a ceremony. But here, we have Amary kneeling at Jesus feet, and using her hair to wipe off the perfume used to anoint him.
Let’s take time to note that anointing is typically historically something men do for other men. It is shocking to view a woman anointing a man. In ancient Israel, there is a prohibition against women touching men. This is taboo. And finally, it is scandalous for women to let their hair loose in the presence of men. This is a sign of sensuality.
What we have in this scene is Mary showing us a sense of knowledge and authority to name Jesus the anointed one in this place. She is also pointing to his mortality and his upcoming death. Mary is claiming a sense of authority and agency in this group of men while also proclaiming her service to Jesus. This is a powerful, intimate and holy thing that is happening.
And in the midst of this sacred moment, Judas steps in and chides Mary. He attempts to effectively silence her and put he in her place. Think of the hungry people we could have fed with the money we could have got from the perfume you just used.
John is sure to tell us his opinion of Judas; his dishonesty and his hypocrisy, but this weaponizing of the poor is not something confined to Judas.
We should be all too familiar with people turning to the plight of those who deprived of the necessities of life when looking to disempower other calls for compassion or justice. The idea of the poor can be a useful weapon when attempting to silence someone. It is an attempt to distract from what is actually going on.
As the smell of nard engulfs the room; as the message of Jesus’ imminent death is delivered, Judas, who is set to betray Jesus to the authorities, seeks to discredit the woman who sees clearly what is happening and is going to happen.
This is not to say we should not reflect on the needs of those who go hungry. This is not to say we should carefully consider how we use our resources. But let’s also consider who starts this particular debate.
Jesus responds by saying the poor will always be with you.
This echoes a commandment from the book of Deuteronomy – Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, ‘Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land.’
How do we balance the importance of showing generosity and kindness to those we encounter along our way with taking time at the feet of Jesus? Mary recognizes the significance of this moment. She opens herself completely to Jesus, and she does not hide who she is and gives deeply and freely of who she is and what she has.
By contrast, Judas cynically tears down the gift and the act of care and reverence brought by Mary. He uses “the poor” as a weapon to dismiss this holy act. Yes, the poor are there and cannot be ignored. We must never forget or dismiss their presence and their needs. But if we are honest, constant acts of charity; as vital as they are as needed, as they are will not solve the deep structural problems we live with that create the blight that is poverty.
At its heart, this is a story of God speaking to us in unexpected ways. We are taught in this story by Mary, that sometimes we need to stop, kneel at Jesus’ feet and acknowledge who teaches us and guides us and to linger a moment in his presence.
In Isaiah, we hear that God is doing a new thing. That God creates streams of water in the desert. God is at work even when our world looks bleak. Even in the most inhospitable of environments we can find God at work. Creating and sustaining us. If only we keep our eyes open and our senses attuned to the way God comes to us, speaks to us; guides us.
Can you not see it? God is doing a new thing.
As we look around this sanctuary today, can we see the people and the actions that are examples of the unexpected ways God has been at work n our lives, nourishing us, inspiring us, caring for us?
And as we continue to take time to sit with Jesus, to name Jesus as the one who comes to us, to teach us, to guide us, to heal us, can we imagine the ways God will surprise us, use us, call us, heal us in the days, weeks, months and years to come?
Because God never stops doing new things. God never stops creating and responding. God never stops working in our lives, using us, healing us, guiding us.
And so, we continue to say; Thanks be to God. Amen.
Rev. Warner Bloomfield

Music provided with permission through licensing with CCLI License number
2701258 and One License # A-731789