Sermon, 5th Sunday of Lent

We are reminded at the beginning of chapter 12 of John's Gospel that this was the same Lazarus whom Jesus had raised from the dead. He had lain inside a cave for four days. Martha had warned Jesus of the obvious; that a four-day-old corpse is going to smell. But in front of his sisters, Martha and Mary, and who knows how many witnesses, Jesus raised a four-day-old corpse back from the dead. Jesus Christ has demonstrated, in an action that not even his enemies even tried to discredit, his power of life over death.

And what is the reaction of his enemies? Do they try to discredit him. No; they do not question his life-giving power. "What are we to do? For this many performs many miracles." No, they just worry about how much trouble the life-giver is going to cause them. "If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place and our nation." To which the High Priest responds, perfectly cold political logic: "it is better for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed." The very moment of Jesus's greatest triumph over the powers of death and despair also becomes the event that seals his fate, and guarantees his own death and apparent defeat by his enemies.

This is what we read in the story of John's Gospel before the account of the dinner held by Lazarus's family in Jesus's honor. And the same paradoxes of life and death, joy and grief, gratitude and rejection, are found in Mary's extraordinary offering, a whole pound of perfume. I bought some perfume for the Children's sermon last night. The smallest bottle I could find at Wal-Mart cost $6 for 1/4th of an ounce. The standard ounce or two cost anywhere from $20-$30. But what Mary poured on Jesus's feet was made from pure nard, oil of a flower that was extremely rare, that had to be imported from as far away as India. How much was this perfume worth that Mary was just pouring all over the place?

Judas Iscariot tells us that this precious perfume could have been sold for "300 denarii." That was about an entire year's wage for the average worker. It could have been given to the poor, Judas sniffs. Yes, it was an extravagant offering that Mary made to Jesus. But what was the life of her brother worth? A year's income? Perhaps Mary expected many years of happy companionship with her brother. Was a year's worth of perfume even enough for what Jesus had given her and Martha? Or was it as much as she could risk? For Lazarus to have supported himself and two unmarried sisters, he must have been a man of success, and man of wealth, with perhaps a year's expenses safely squirreled away in their savings. Was it worth the risk of a year's savings to give honor and worship to the man who brought him back from the dead?

Of course, Jesus understood that this was not just an expression of Mary's gratitude, or even a risky expression of faith. "She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial." More than anything, this was Mary's sacrifice, her giving up of her wealth and fortune. As Jesus would sacrifice himself for the sins of the world; so did Mary, whether or not she understood, sacrifice herself to the Crucified one. She was the first to join her personal sacrifice to the sacrifice of the Christ.

For what in your life would you be so grateful that you would offer an entire year's income just to say, "Thank you?" What is so important to you that you would risk an entire year's savings to gain? What potential reward is so great to you that you would sacrifice an entire year's income? If a year is impossible for you personally, look at this church. We have more than a year's budget squirreled away. How has God blessed us? For what should we be grateful to God? How much is that gratitude worth to us? Are we risking enough to fulfill our mission of bridging Christ and community? Would any kind of ministry or mission be worth that much risk? Is there something about this church that is so loved that a year's income would be a worthwhile sacrifice?

As the "leader" of this parish, I can get out in front of you, but not so far out in front that you can't see me, and I can point in a certain direction. But Jesus didn't tell Mary to what, or how much, to offer. She just did it. These are all questions, which I hope that I and your elected Vestry can begin to discern the answers that God is trying to give us. Are these questions scary to consider? Just a couple of weeks away from Good Friday, you bet. By her sacrifice, Mary shared in Jesus's sacrifice. But we who call ourselves Christians also know the Resurrection that we will also share with him who died and rose again for us. To prepare for the burial is also to prepare for the empty tomb. Let's get started.