Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
A score of 0.5 or higher indicates the tone is likely present.
Emotion Tone
Anger
0.14UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.13UNLIKELY
Fear
0.09UNLIKELY
Joy
0.56LIKELY
Sadness
0.53LIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.47UNLIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.56LIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.88LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.45UNLIKELY
Extraversion
0.19UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.95LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.45UNLIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
Emptied and Poured Out
Three very unique characters in today’s story.
Mary, Judas and Jesus
They have entered the city of Jerusalem during the Triumphal Entry and have now settled in the home of Simon the Leper.
Simon the Leper didn’t forget what Jesus had done for him and has invited Jesus as a guest to his home for a meal.
According to John, Martha, Mary, Lazarus and some of the disciples including Judas were present.
No meal around Jesus was a simple meal.
People were watching.
As if he were a criminal, the Jews had people in his presence watching and reporting back to the council his every move.
They waited.
They wanted to catch him in just the right circumstances that they might accuse him of a high crime.
Better if the crime was against Rome, but nevertheless, a crime.
So they waited.
Last week we spoke of war and rumors of war.
Jesus is coming to take over, usher in His kingdom.
The disciples will be set up as rulers and given territory and authority.
Simple fisherman now made kings!
They were right, they will be given authority and power from on high.
Just not as they anticipated.
They also watch Jesus.
All this talk about death and burial.
But Jesus has work left to do.
Jesus has a task at hand that is still misunderstood.
Beside the cross he must sure up these disciples.
He must help them see His sacrifice is the fulfillment of the law.
The law will be fulfilled in their presence and a new covenant is beginning.
One promised from old.
Mary is present.
Martha is probably cooking, but Mary is near Jesus.
She watches him, she studies him.
She loves him.
She senses something is different.
All this talk of going away.
Going where?
Would He leave her and her sister?
He raised brother from the dead, would he just walk out?
No that’s not it she thinks.
It is something else.
In the pit of her stomach, she senses something terrible is going to happen.
How will she talk to him about it?
She, female, really shouldn’t talk to Him.
Judas is in the corner.
He also watches.
He thinks, I don’t know if I really like this fellow.
He hangs with Peter and John a lot.
Leaves me on the outskirts.
I’m not sure we see eye to eye.
When Mary cannot contain herself any longer, she does something extravagant, she wants to hide it but she can’t and shes afraid she will run out of time.
What if he leaves and she doesn’t get to express her feelings for Him?
So she tries to quietly give of an offering, a sacrifice really.
She has this perfume.
Its expensive.
It comes from India.
It may have been a gift, it may have been something she saved for, or, she could have taken her savings and purchased it knowing in the pit of her stomach, she must act on His behalf and do it now.
So she broke open the flask and poured it on Jesus head, John says his feet, and she wiped the oil with her hair, and in her eyes and his eyes to it seems, what she has done is well accepted.
She emptied a costly perfume, she really emptied herself onto Jesus.
What a beautiful picture of love poured out, of sacrifice, of surrender.
Judas on the other hand!
Why?! WHY?! Why was this done, Jesus we could have sold this and think of all the poor we could have fed.
Tell her to get back!
As a matter of fact, why don’t you let me have any other surprises and I’ll put them here in the treasurers belt for safe keeping.
Judas, let her be, what she has done, she has done in preparation of my burial.
Yeah, here we go again with the burial, I’m going away, talk.
In his mind he thinks, again you have embarrassed me in front of the crowd.
I’m not going to forget.
As a matter of fact, Judas now seeks to do something about this Jesus.
He is, lets say entrepreneurial in his endeavors, and seeks how he might profit form this situation.
So he goes to the Chief Priests and they make a deal.
Judas fills himself.
He fills himself of pride, jealousy, envy, hatred and the like.
He is seeking his own.
Paul says of Jesus post the crucifixion in
Who displayed a likeness of Jesus more; Mary or Judas?
Why?
For Jesus work, the Father said
Did you here that?
Every knee shall bow to Him.
EVERY.
EVERY.
In Heaven, on earth, and under the earth.
What Jesus has done in sacrificing himself for us the Father redeemed.
What Jesus did in sacrificing His will, the Father redeemed and set on His right hand.
What Jesus has done sacrificing and earthly kingdom, the Father has redeemed all mankind through and by the sacrifice of this one man all can be saved.
Judas was the polar opposite.
All for me!
Mary, well, she emptied herself in an act of love.
She did it in the attempt to show Christ the depth of her commitment and to make a real sacrifice.
Her work is written for all to hear.
But I think there is more.
I like the words of Cece Winans in her song Alabaster Box, i think she captures Mary’s heart:
The room grew still
As she made her way to Jesus
She stumbled through the tears
That make her blind
She felt such pain
Some spoke in anger
Heard folks whisper
There's no place here for her kind
Still on she came
Through the shame that flushed her face
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9