"Love Poured Out"
a condensed version of the sermon delivered by Rev. Kirk Moore on Sunday, March 25, 2007 at Union Congregational Church in Somonauk, Illinois.

PODCAST of "Love Poured Out."

Sometimes it’s fun for me to play the "Bible-smarty-pants" game. I invite people to ask me a Bible question and then with dignity and a lofty tone I answer the question. Of course, I’m quick to point out that I actually don’t know everything and more often than not have to answer, "I don’t know the answer to that one. Let me study a little bit and get back to you."

This morning I do not plan to play that game. However, I may be reckless; I mean brave, enough to play in an upcoming week. Instead, I’m going to offer some "Bible smarty pants-ness" as it relates to today’s scripture reading.

A story of a woman anointing Jesus with expensive perfume is present in all four gospels. Scholars debate whether they are the same story or not. Regardless, the stories are similar. You can find the other stories in Matthew 26:7-13, Mark 14:3-9 and Luke 8:36-50.

Here are some things to keep in mind with regard to today’s passage.

• Mary from Bethany is not Mary Magdalene. In the other passages an unnamed woman pours out the perfume on Jesus. She is called "a sinner" in the other passages. Mary Magdalene is also identified as "a sinner." The woman in the other passages may or may not be Mary Magdalene. The Mary here definitely is not.
• Mary Magdalene – who is not mentioned in this passage, was, nonetheless, not a prostitute. Since she was identified as "a sinner" many have made that jump. A woman who was "a sinner" was not a prostitute – she was poor. When Mary of Bethany wiped Jesus feet with her hair, she had to let her hair down. Some would argue that only a prostitute would do this – hence some of the confusion and the incorrect identification. Neither Mary of Bethany no Mary Magdalene were prostitutes.
• Mary was the sister of Martha. The two of them had a brother, Lazarus. Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead. Because of that miracle, (It is written about in the verses just before today’s reading.) a plot to kill Jesus had begun. Because people were seeing Lazarus and believing in Jesus, a plot to kill Lazarus was also hatching. That is written about just after today’s reading.
• Mary is the one who sat and listened to Jesus while Martha readied the house in Luke 10:38-42. Martha was angry that Mary wasn’t helping. Jesus said that both hospitality and listening to him were important.
• The perfume Mary used was made from pure nard. Nard (that doesn’t sound so high-filutin’, does it?) comes from the roots of a plant grown in the Himalayas. The imported perfume she used was worth a year’s wages.
• Jesus is a scripture smarty-pants.

What’s happening in today’s passage has a lot of "wrong" in it.

• Mary, who was poor, used expensive perfume extravagantly.
• Mary let her hair down in the presence of men. Something like that could start rumors. (Or incorrect identifications!)
• Nobody but Judas made a stink about the value of the perfume, the extravagance, and how the perfume was wasted. (In the other passages others had the same thought)
• Judas was labeled as a thief. Many scholars see him as more of a political figure who, when he betrayed Jesus, was trying to "smoke out" the messiah – thereby forcing Jesus to come out with power. The writer of John simply says he was a thief.
• Nobody made a stink about the hair or the sensuality of what Mary did when she poured out, with abandon, her devotion and love on Jesus.
• Jesus said ‘the poor will always be around – but I won’t’

I want to focus today on two things in all of that.

1. Mary poured out, extravagantly and with abandon, her devotion and love for Jesus
2. Jesus said ‘the poor will always be around – but I won’t’

Mary’s uninhibited and extravagant display of affection for Jesus is something that probably should make us feel uncomfortable. The image of a woman anointing Jesus with perfume and drying his feet with her hair is intimate. There is strong sensuality in that image and in the brilliant fragrance of perfume that filled the house. And the sense of abandon and love that Mary displayed towards Jesus is uncomfortable on a sensual and a practical level. Can you imagine loving God in a way that is so uninhibited? And while I’m feeling uncomfortable about this scene, I see that Jesus reacted with welcome and appreciation towards her.

• Can we love God with that kind of reckless abandon at our very core? How do we get to a place where that seems natural to us?

Something else that probably should make us feel uncomfortable is Jesus words at the end of the passage: "You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me."

Here, however, I know that Jesus was displaying his scripture smarty-pants-ness. He was quoting from Deuteronomy – the scroll that summed up the Torah – the law. Deuteronomy 15:11 says this: Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, "Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land."

Jesus knew that the people in the house knew the scriptures. He didn’t even have to say the second part.

When Jesus said that simple phrase they would be reminded of the entire thought from Deuteronomy. Listen to this:

(Deuteronomy 15:1, 7-11 NRSV) Every seventh year you shall grant a remission of debts. {7} If there is among you anyone in need, a member of your community in any of your towns within the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward your needy neighbor. {8} You should rather open your hand, willingly lending enough to meet the need, whatever it may be. {9} Be careful that you do not entertain a mean thought, thinking, "The seventh year, the year of remission, is near," and therefore view your needy neighbor with hostility and give nothing; your neighbor might cry to the LORD against you, and you would incur guilt. {10} Give liberally and be ungrudging when you do so, for on this account the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. {11} Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, "Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land."

Jesus knew that those in the house would not misunderstand his words as perhaps we have. He reminded them that caring for the poor was at the core of his ministry. He also reminded them that devotion and love for him ("you do not always have me.") was at the very core of caring for the poor.

• Can we care for others in a way that starts with unfettered love for Jesus?

In another of the readings for today, from Philippians 3:4b-14, Paul displays extravagance and exaggeration. He brags about how important and righteous he was as a Pharisee – only to turn it around and explain how worthless all of that was compared to the Gospel. He actually describes all the "important" things he had using profanity. The King James Version of the Bible translates it "dung." Most modern translations say "rubbish," but that doesn’t really carry the image that Paul used. Maybe one that works would say that all Paul’s awards for religious perfection were printed on dirty toilet paper.

Mary showed that she looked on anything except her devotion for Jesus as dirty toilet paper.

Jesus taught that all our motivation to love our neighbor grows out of love and devotion for God.

There is a place for reckless abandon and extravagant spontaneity in showing love and devotion for Jesus.
There is a place for reckless abandon and extravagant spontaneity in caring for the poor.

How do we do it, though?

This week, let’s brainstorm. Put a piece of paper on the fridge or on the table or somewhere you see often. Write on it these two sentences:

I can extravagantly show love and devotion for Jesus by:

and

I can extravagantly show love for others by:

Please don’t hold back. Write down whatever comes to mind. Bring those papers to me sometime this week or next week. You don’t have to put your name on the sheet. I’ll share some of them with everyone as part of our Sermon series that comes up after Easter. The series is called, "Does this Feel like Church?"

Mary poured out the best she had to offer at Jesus' feet because she loved him. Let us experience that love and devotion toward Jesus – and also to share it with others – as all experience Jesus’ love poured out.

Close with prayer.

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