We're a Little Bit of Both

Introduction

Today marks the fifth Sunday of Lent. We have been journeying through this time of introspection…

…developing our disciplines to be more intentional in living more holy.

As I reflected over the past week, I was inspired by our community’s example of living our lives as disciples of Jesus Christ.

Our worship brought a powerful message, beautiful music, and comforting prayer.

In our conference room, disciples assembled purses with toiletries to empower women and restore their dignity.

This was an act of mercy to address their needs and remind them of their dignity and the power that comes with knowing they are made in the image of God and worthy of love and care.

In our parlor, disciples were conferencing on what it means to be a Beloved Disciple…

…what it means to be at the foot of the cross or a distance from the cross…

…and how we today find ourselves advocating for the oppressed or complicit in our silence.

Upstairs, disciples supported, encouraged, and affirmed a future leader into their ministry calling.

Seeing how Covenant responds to God’s grace through our love, service, and piety brings me joy.

Today, our scripture explores the truth of being a disciple as we prepare for Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and the beginning of his passion narrative.

Sanctifying Grace

As we step into our scripture lesson today, imagine a moment when you walked into a room that smelled delightful.

For me… it’s right before Dennis and I go out of town. He has this ritual where the house has to be completely clean from top to bottom before we go away for vacation.

I’ll walk through the door from work and feel the freshness of a vacuumed house, a mopped kitchen, dining room, entryway, and those Glade plugins….

Ahhhh… I know we are going to the airport tomorrow for a vacation, a time of joy and making memories.

Today, we are in the home of Lazarus, whom Jesus rose from the dead.

Jesus and the disciples are invited into the home of Lazarus and his sisters Mary of Bethany and Martha, who express their love and gratitude to Jesus.

Mary and Martha must have had joy in Lazarus being restored to life and full health.

To express appreciation, Mary takes a “pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’s feet and wiped them with her hair.”

This had to have ruffled some feathers, and we know Judas was quite upset. The perfume cost three hundred denarii or a full day’s wages.

The other upsetting issue would have been Mary untying her hair to wipe Jesus’ feet. Untying one’s hair would have been unusual and unfitting during those times.

Yet… Mary does not care about the cost of the perfume…

Mary does not care what people will think of her untying her hair to wipe the feet of Jesus…

What Mary does….

…is she demonstrates a grateful heart to Jesus’s grace to her and her siblings.

Mary experiences a means of grace in which she expresses an outward action of devotion and thanksgiving to Jesus for her thankful heart.

This loving act of thanksgiving conveys God’s sanctifying grace and invites us to fill our hearts with holy love.

How do we, as Christians, demonstrate our response to God’s grace?

I remember a retired pastor who used to serve my church, and she had settled back into town. We learned that she had cancer, and the treatments were preventing her from maintaining the house.

Her kids were active in caregiving but certainly burdened.

Our church responded by going over one day and cleaning out her flowerbed, mowing the lawn, and tidying up the outside.

Our response to God’s grace was gratitude.

We actively lived out that thankfulness in our daily actions by treating others as we would want to be treated in our time of need.

Throughout Jesus’ ministry, he sets up a new commandment, a new family calling all humanity to care for one another.

This is our call… this is our response…

… to create a grace-filled environment through our piety, whether it’s in

prayer,

participating in bible study,

reflecting with our fabulous Reflections on the ROC co-hosts,

…or through our acts of mercy in

serving people experiencing poverty,

visiting the homebound,

empowering women,

advocating for the marginalized.

Justifying Grace

But more is going on than the sanctifying grace we experience in this scripture story…

We have all been discussing the budget at the dining room table, whether over a meal or piles of receipts and spreadsheets.

Okay… maybe not all of you are as nerdy as me and bringing spreadsheets to the dining room table, but you get my drift.

We’ve all experienced inflation, increased living costs, and the need to make tough decisions.

Similarly, our trustees, finance committee, and worship committee have had similar conversations within our church family…

There are choices between costs towards acts of devotion in worship and acts of mercy in our outreach programs.

Our text today has Judas scolding Mary for using this perfume, this act of devotion to anoint Jesus.

Judas would have preferred to see the perfume sold to benefit people experiencing poverty.

Now, there are many parentheticals here—the author wants to make clear that Judas’s intention to help the poor was not genuine.

…nor was he authentic in his relationship with Jesus, as the author quickly points out.

After describing Judas as a disciple, we receive a parenthetical note that Judas was about to betray Jesus.

Why does this text have so many parenthetical notes?

These notes ensure that we, as readers, know Judas’ true character… his true intentions…

If Mary is the model disciple demonstrating what it means to respond to sanctifying grace…

Is Judas an example of Christ’s justifying or pardoning grace toward us?

Friends… Judas is no less a disciple and witness to the amazing grace than Mary was…

We need Jesus…

We need Jesus because we, too, sometimes fail to have an authentic relationship with our creator.

We need Jesus because we, too, are not always truthful in our intentions…

How many of us have taken advantage of the convenience of shopping on Amazon or at Walmart?

According to a labor watch group, these two organizations have been cited as contributing to deepening economic inequalities because of their exploitative labor practices.

As Christians, we are called to steward the earth…

Yet, how many of us are silent accomplices in increasing the environment’s carbon emissions...

...by supporting corporations that take shortcuts to improve their profit margins rather than adopting practices that will conserve our environment?

Kerygmatic Fulfillment

It’s easy to picture ourselves as Mary, that perfect disciple devoted to Jesus and thankful for his raising of Lazarus.

But the truth is… we’re a little bit of Mary and a little bit of Judas…

And the Good News, friends… Jesus pardons us of our flaws…

Jesus loves us and extends us this justifying grace…

We are called to be made holy in our devotion and love to God.

Jesus models this sanctifying grace through his human ministry, and Mary responds…

How will we respond?

Church, this scripture is a foreshadowing of what is to come next week.

Mary anoints and anticipates Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, where Jesus will be crucified.

Today, we live in the presence of the risen Christ.

Today, we come to the Table humbly, seeking peace and assurance in our pardon.

Today, we come to the Table eager to respond to Christ’s love with extravagant acts of compassion and generosity.

Later in our service, we will remember our risen Christ, and I invite you to the table to partake of Holy Communion.

During this time of remembrance, you’ll have an opportunity to select a scented stick.

Take this with you throughout the week. Set it beside your favorite chair or nightstand…

…think of something you can thank God for. Reflect on how you will respond to this love.

In the name of our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. Amen.