The First Dinner: Risking Rejection

Mark 14:3-9, CEB

3 Jesus was at Bethany visiting the house of Simon, who had a skin disease. During dinner, a woman came in with a vase made of alabaster and containing very expensive perfume of pure nard. She broke open the vase and poured the perfume on his head. 4 Some grew angry. They said to each other, “Why waste the perfume? 5 This perfume could have been sold for almost a year’s pay and the money given to the poor.” And they scolded her.

6 Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you make trouble for her? She has done a good thing for me. 7 You always have the poor with you; and whenever you want, you can do something good for them. But you won’t always have me. 8 She has done what she could. She has anointed my body ahead of time for burial. 9 I tell you the truth that, wherever in the whole world the good news is announced, what she’s done will also be told in memory of her.”

INTRO

This week, we are continuing our Lenten Journey to “enter the passion of Jesus” together. As Rev. Dr. Marcia McFee reminds us, “Throughout the six weeks of Lent, we will “freeze-frame” moments in Holy Week so that we might put ourselves in the picture, thereby ‘Entering the Passion of Jesus.” On Ash Wednesday, we began by preparing the canvasses of our lives. We named the busyness in our lives that drives us to see life as happening around us rather than to us. We committed to slowing down and being intentional as we enter Christ’s passion. 

Next, we framed up Palm Sunday and the parade. Examining the division among the parade participants, we asked ourselves if we would join in. If so, we asked ourselves what we would risk to join Christ’s ongoing parade in the world. Then, we continued the journey as we paused and framed up the temple. We asked ourselves if we and the church would stand by and be complacent in the world around us or if we were willing to risk righteous anger to stand up for the least, the last, and the lost in the world. Last week, we examined Jesus’ teaching as we risked challenging the status quo as we offered all that belongs to God, to God, even our very lives. This week we continue as we explore the First Supper and ask ourselves if we will risk rejection.

Have you ever been to one of the “big” family reunions? It’s that big gathering where you only know part of the family…the side that is directly related to you such as grandparents, cousins, nephews and aunts but you don’t know many outside of that little group. I have always enjoyed these big reunions where one can trace their lineage up to the patriarch or matriarch of the family…and while it was partly to see family, and get to know other relatives you don’t see often…I also truly enjoyed the different “family foods” that you can only really get when the whole family gathers together.

Now take a moment and close your eyes. Breathe in. Breathe out. One more time. Breathe in. Breathe out. As you close your eyes, picture your own family reunion. What do you see? What family members are present? Is there special food or drink that you see there? What do you smell? Somebody’s perfume? Food that has been cooking? What do you hear? Laughing? Talking? What makes this family reunion special for you? You may open your eyes.

In our Gospel lesson this morning, Jesus is at, what AJ Levine coins, “the First Dinner.” Jesus has been at a dinner party. There had been food, and as the dinner was continuing on, some translations report that Jesus was reclined around the table. He was relaxed, they were eating, having fun, and all of a sudden some woman comes in with an alabaster vase filled with a very expensive perfume made of pure nard. The woman breaks it over Jesus’ head and anoints him with the nard perfume. Immediately her offering to Jesus is rejected by the disciples.

They immediately protest proclaiming how much the perfume cost. In other gospel accounts, it cost 300 denarius which was the equivalent of almost a full year’s salary for the average worker. They reject her offering proclaiming that they could have put the perfume to better use by selling it and using the money to care for the poor. In Mark’s Gospel this occurs in just 3 verses. To understand more fully what is going on and the disciple’s reactions, we must dive in a little deeper. 

In seminary one of the things we are taught is how to critically read the text. The story of what this woman has done is sandwiched between the stories of what Judas done and what he is about to do. The story is meant to not only contrast Judas act of betrayal but its meant to get our attention. It’s meant to show us what discipleship is all about. When she comes to Christ it’s an extravagant gesture acknowledging the Lordship of Christ. We are meant to contrast that with Judas’ work before and after her gesture as Judas scolds her and then goes out to continue the work of betraying Jesus.  

Others at the meal scold her as they focus not on the act of her devotion but the cost and value of the perfume. In fact, the reaction to this act of anointing is kind of confusing. Since anointing guest of honor was a normal practice. At the same time, the disciples reactions show that they have been listening to their teacher. Jesus has stressed the need to take care of the poor. Jesus has told and shown the disciples time and time again the special place of honor the poor have in his ministry and in God’s heart. So it is natural, that they focus on the extravagant cost of the perfume, in light of what their teacher has been teaching. This surely is the right answer after all they have been taught…. “there is a better use of that money then this…”

But there is something deeper at work in this story. Even before she shows up, this woman knows she is risking rejection or worse. We don’t know her name, in Mark’s gospel. She is not an invited guest. She is not at the dinner party. In this time, it was highly unusual for a woman to show up unaccompanied. It was highly unusual for folks to be dining at a the house of someone who has a skin disease. The text is not clear as to whether or not this Simon had actually been healed. So it was even riskier for her to show up unaccompanied at the house of an outcast. Despite this, she shows up determined to extravagantly show her love of Christ and her faith in what he is doing. In doing so, she is witnesses to Christ’s mission in the world.

Her act of faith is extraordinary. It’s wasteful, and “useless” in a worldview. It reflects the extravagance of what Jesus is about to do, lavishly giving of himself, pouring himself out on the cross for sinners such as you and me. This gift of Christ seems useless and wasteful….you’ve heard the terms used to described the work of Christ in the world. “People are always going to be people”, “some folks aren’t “worth” saving,” “they deserved what they got.” This gift offered by Christ does not have a good return on investment in the eyes of the world. It does not increase our efficiency or enable us to master the habits of those who are successful in the world. 

Yet at the same time, like the women who offers this costly perfume, there is an extravagant cost to the gift that Christ offers to us. As one theologian reminds us,“This love does not make us richer or more powerful or more successful. All it does is embrace us. All it does is draw us out of our self-absorbed ways, lifting us into God’s own life. All it does is grant us the gift, the marvelous gift that this woman knows so well, of being able to forget self in order to share in the outlandish joy of Christ’s extravagant gift of himself..”

Likewise, there is an extravagant cost to those who wish to offer the gift of Christ to others. For in the eyes of the world, what we do here on Sundays is crazy. Truly living out the Christian faith is foolish to the world. Truly loving others no matter where they are, no matter what they believe. Coming alongside someone and ministering to and with them. Embracing all as beloved children of God. Striving to live our lives so that the world will know the love of God even if it doesn’t help them gain power or success. A life of Christian discipleship comes with extravagant cost and is radically different than the ways of the world. When was the last time you risked rejection to share your faith or for the sake of the mission of Jesus Christ?

This women comes to Jesus and offers her best and she does so from a heart of joyful obedience. One commentary notes “ When I was young, my father preached that she broke the container because she was so honored to be in the presence of Jesus that she never wanted to use either the costly ointment or the container again. She broke it to use it all out of joy at being in the presence of Jesus” When we reflect on the joyful obedience of this un-named one, it call us into reflection on our own life of discipleship. Do we joyfully follow after Jesus? Are we will to break our most valuable possession for the building up of the kingdom of God? Or, is there something that we hold back from Jesus? 

Thinking back to our family reunions, most of us would say that we would do anything for our family. We would give up things. We would fight for them. We would do whatever it takes to provide or make things better for our families. Yet, as children of God, we belong to something bigger. As we named last week, before any other identity we have, we belong to God. We are a part of God’s family. The text, then, encourages us to give our best to Christ. To pour our lives out in devotion and love to the work of the church, the work of Christ, in the world. Because, if we are honest, our most valuable possession is ourselves, our very lives. Why wouldn’t we offer the same thing we would for our earthly family, to our eternal family even if it means risking rejection? For even if the world rejects us, our Heavenly Father embraces us. May we risk even rejection, to extravagantly offer our all, giving as extravagantly to God as God, in Jesus Christ, has given to us.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.