The Fragrance of Generosity
Psalm 126 read responsively and John 12:1-11
Preached by Linda Jo Peters ~ March 21, 2010
Introduction to Scripture
Our Old Testament Reading for today is Psalm 126. This psalm is written in response to the Persian Emperor, Cyrus who conquers Babylon and sets the enslaved Israelites free. Think of that which enslaves us from which we too long for freedom. The LORD who delivered the Israelites is the same LORD who comes to us in grace offering us the gift of freedom in Christ.
1When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream.
2Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.”
3The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.
4Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like the watercourses in the Negeb.
5May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.
6Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.
John 12:1-11
Most people have experienced a smell that floods the mind with arresting memories of a person, place, or event. Our sense of smell relates closely to how we experience life and process significant memories. Mary's gift emits an aroma that saturates the house and the minds of everyone in it. How does that passionate aroma persist even today? What real-life experiences do Jesus' life, death and resurrection forever define, like a scent we never forget?
Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 2There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. 3Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, 5“Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” 6(He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) 7Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. 8You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.” 9When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, 11since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus.
Sermon
Spikenard is known as a healing oil and is grown in India and China. The essential oil is obtained through steam distillation and it has an earthy/musty scent. (For those reading this at home, I have placed some on a paper towel for you to know how it smells.) As an essential oil it is used as a diuretic, for rashes and skin allergies, anti-fungal and it is believed to have has a balancing effect on hormones. It is also used for alleviating grief or old pain. It is used in palliative care to help ease the transition from life to death.
In the ancient world, cleanliness was often achieved through rubbing oil and salt on the skin and then scrapping it off. There was ritual bathing in order to be clean before God and public baths particularly because of the Roman influence, but they were cost prohibitive to the very poor and most laborers could only afford to go once a week. Perfume has often been used to anoint the body to hide other scents. It has never been cheap and during Jesus’ time Judas estimates the value of the oil that Mary uses as the equivalent of a year’s worth of manual labor.
Pivotal to the generosity of Mary and the stingy response of Judas there is the simple statement that, “The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” Mary’s outright passionate and extravagant expression of her love for Jesus overflows into a gift for everyone there. This is true discipleship, giving all that we have like a fragrant offering of love. What does Jesus say Mary is doing? “She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial.” But the rising of her brother Lazarus has released all inhibitions to “proper” behavior. Anointing his feet with oil but then wiping it with her hair.
Matt Skinner Associate Professor of New Testament at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN writes:
This passage gives permission … to honor Jesus in extravagant ways, perhaps even by giving a massive donation to the poor.
It isn’t the gift that is important it is the attitude of the giver. God knows that when we are generous we open the flood gates of our hearts and are led by our passions. Next week we remember Jesus coming into Jerusalem with all the passion of the crowds that followed him. But it is also the Sunday we remember how quick passions fade if they are not based in our convictions of faith. Jesus’ passion led to the greatest gift ever given. His very life was given up on the cross, given because of his abiding love for you. He calls you to live a life filled with the sweet smell of generosity. Let nothing stand in your way of giving all that you have and all that you are for Jesus. Your gifts will flow out and fill the whole house of God. Amen.
