The Fifth Sunday in Lent

 Preparing Jesus

04/06/2025

This week’s Gospel reading is from the Gospel of John chapter 12 verses 1 - 8. Today’s reading has been difficult to interpret and extract a lesson from, so I am going to start by just including the full text right here.

1Six 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.”

The story is about a feast given by Lazarus in honor of Jesus. We are reminded that this is the Lazarus who Jesus raised from the dead. The story has some things to teach us but it also has some that we should not try and make more of then Jesus intended.

Jesus is not telling the disciples, or us, that as long as we are doing, or spending, for Jesus then we have a pass to do as we like. We are not able to avoid our duties and responsibilities in the “name” of worshiping Jesus. However, if we are called to honor Jesus as Mary was in this passage, then many day to day activities and responsibilities will take a back seat.

Jesus is also not giving us the green light to evaluate and judge how every other Christian spends their time and money. We have no idea what someone is called to do or be in the kingdom of God. We have no right to proclaim what they should do in service of the kingdom.

So now that we have picked some of the low hanging misapplications let's take a look at Mary. Mary Loved Jesus, we are told that here as well as in other places in the Gospel. We are also told how much Mary loved her brother and how she was impacted by his death. Here we have Mary carrying out an act to symbolically prepare Jesus for his burial as Jesus sits at the table with her very much alive, but previously buried, brother. Jesus has demonstrated his power over death to these very people. He has also told them that his own hour of death is approaching. Mary understands that the burial of Jesus may be short term, like Lazarus’ but it will not be missed. The group is going to have to face this event. In light of what is coming she honors him and anointed him. She is preparing him for what is to come.

We have a responsibility to be away of what is to come. Jesus has called us into service for the kingdom. We should be watchful to know how and when to act in order to honor that call to service.

Thanks for reading.

David

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You can find this week’s reading here.