Sunday March 21, 2010 John 12:1-8

Welcome, Sunday’s temperature was great! Our family ran outside to enjoy it. Yesterday wasn’t too bad either. Our text for this week comes from John. Prior to this event Jesus has raised Lazarus from the dead and the Jewish leaders have condemned him to death. He left Jerusalem for awhile but now has returned

V1 It is six days before Passover and Jesus is at the home of his friends Martha, Mary and Lazarus, whom he has raised from the dead. They lived in Bethany, just over the top of the Mount of Olives from Jerusalem.

V2 They were hosting a dinner for Jesus and his disciples perhaps in celebration of Jesus restoring their brother to them or in celebration of the upcoming Passover. Lazarus was at the table reclining with the other men. When they ate they reclined on their left side and held their heads with their left hands. Their feet were spread out behind them. Martha as usual was serving the meal.

V3 Mary came to the feet of Jesus and began to pour costly oil on them and to wipe the excess with her hair. A man was never to see a woman’s hair until their wedding night. Here, Mary has ignored social taboos to wipe his feet. She knew as did they all that when Jesus came back to Jerusalem he would be killed by the leaders for raising her brother back to life.

V4-6 Judas began to complain about the extravagant use of such expensive oil. He used the excuse that it could have been sold and the money given to the poor. He didn’t care about the poor but would have siphoned off some of the profits of the oil for himself.

V7 Jesus stops Judas from complaining further and explains that Mary had purchased the oil for his anointing at his burial. He knows the leaders are going to kill him. Mary knows he will probably be killed and that he is the Messiah. Typically a Messiah was anointed in the beginning of his kingship by a prophet pouring olive oil on his head. This had not been done for Jesus. Only God had anointed him at his baptism with his words and the dove descending on him. Now Mary was anointing him as her Messiah and for his death. Dead bodies were anointed with oil to cover the smell of decay. But Mary was anointing his feet, something no Jew would touch. Only a gentile slave touched feet. Mary is placing herself as low as a slave (servant) to Jesus. She is serving him as later he would demonstrate service and love by washing the disciple’s feet in the upper room. How much of this did Mary understand? We don’t know but her actions were done out of love for Jesus.

V8 He responds to Judas “You will always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.” In other words there will always be poor people in the world to help but I, Jesus, will not be with you much longer so if she wants to perform this act of love let her. Sometimes we only have a few chances to do something and then the opportunity is lost forever. Such was the opportunity for Mary to anoint Jesus’ feet.

What will we quit postponing and act on before the opportunity is lost forever?