Episode Transcript
[00:00:01] Speaker A: Let's pray.
Lord, open our hearts and minds by the power of your Holy Spirit, that as the Scriptures are read and your word is proclaimed, we may hear with joy what you say to us today. Amen.
Today's scripture is John 12:1 8.
Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.
There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him.
Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus feet and wiped them with with her hair.
The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, the one who was about to betray him, said, why was this perfume not sold for 300 denarii and the money given to the poor?
He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief. He kept the common purse and used steal what was put into it.
Jesus said, leave her alone.
She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.
This is the word of the Lord.
[00:01:49] Speaker B: Well, like many who lost homes to the Eaton fire, about a month after that event, I went to visit the disaster recovery center up on West Woodbury Road in Altadena. The center consisted of three enormous rooms. And in these rooms, as well as offices that were adjoining these rooms, were a host of different tables. And these tables each offered different services. So after parking went in, I visited one table that helped me apply for new titles for our vehicles those were destroyed in the fire. I went to another table where they helped us understand debris removal, which it looks like for Jill and I is going to happen early this next week on our property. Went to another table where they helped navigate some insurance issues. And then yet another table I went to. After visiting several others and seeing what services they might offer, I visited the Red Cross. And the Red Cross said, we actually have financial assistance to offer to those who've lost homes to the fire. Great. I thought, I'm not going to turn down assistance with the rather daunting costs of recovery and especially of rebuilding. So thank you. And then after I applied with this Red Cross representative, the representative said, oh, and before you leave, be sure to go right across and visit Tu Chi, which are this organization is also giving financial assistance to those who lost homes. Okay, Go over to Tsu Chi and learn that it's a Buddhist foundation that has was started in Taiwan and has since has chapters in the US and this particular foundation was about helping people after disasters and offering ministries of compassion. It sounded kind of like a Presbyterian Disaster assistance, only the Buddhist version of it. So I thought, great. And I went through along with this volunteer applying for aid. Now, some of you in this room have lost your homes or been displaced and you know, there's a lot of applications. We're encouraged to make a lot of goods and services that are offered. Some turn out to be great, some not so great, and some you just never hear back from again. And this I thought would fall into the latter category. I figured, well, I'm probably not going to hear from Tsuchi. But then nine days later, on a Saturday, I get this email or text. Dear Matthew, intake number O3791 Chu Chi USA has prepared emergency financial assistance for you. Great. It went on. Please come to the San Gabriel Valley Service center in El Monte Tomorrow, Sunday, February 16th, between the hours of 10am and 11am Best wishes, Suu Kyi USA.
Sunday 10 and 11.
I seem to recall having something on my calendar at that time.
So I text back. I write, thank you so much. I have a church commitment tomorrow morning from 10am to 11am as many Christians do on Sunday mornings. Can I come by at 1pm instead? And I didn't hear back and figured this was probably automated anyway, so the next day comes, I worship with all of you. Get some great time on the patio after the service and then after lunch, it's around 1:00 and I'm trying to think to myself, so do I go to El Monte? You know, would you?
I wasn't sure, you know, will they still be offering aid even though I'm late? What will that aid look like? What will the experience be like? You know? But I figured, hey, I'll learn something new. In any case, I'll check it out. So I go and drive to Tsu Chi foundation in El Monte, huge building out in front. I present my information. I've got to bring proof of my residence and my driver's license. And then I tell them and introduce myself as intake number 03791. And the gentleman looks at my information. He says, you're late.
And you know, I felt a little bit like a student being shied for being late to class. And I was like, actually, I have a church commitment at that time. Is it okay to be late? Or should I go? And said, no, no, you can go in. So I was then brought in first, after taking my information, brought into one room and told to wait. Then A volunteer came, took me and brought me to another room where I was told to wait. Then from there I was brought to yet another room and was told to wait. And during one of these waiting sessions, I was wondering, did I do the right thing? You know. But I waited. And then eventually I was brought to a huge room with little desks neatly organized. And it immediately called to my mind back when I was a high school student taking the sat, you know, it looked like that.
And at each of these tables, on one side was a representative of Tu Chi, and on the other side was a person like me there to receive aid. So I waited in one of these chairs and was then called up to. To be on the receiving end of that desk. And then it felt again like the SATs, because it was clear I was going to need to sit there for a while and listen to instructions, listen to the background of Tzu Chi foundation and about its founder, a kind of Mother Teresa of Asia, as they described her. And it was a little bit of that sense of, oh, wow, I'm kind of stuck here, you know. And then people were taking pictures of me, which was an interesting experience to have when I'm in that position of receiving aid. Kind of vulnerable, you might say. But at the end of this, she handed me two debit cards and she told me in no uncertain terms not to use them to purchase alcohol.
And I thought, well, that's a bummer, you know, I mean, after that experience, a glass of scotch sounded really sweet.
But at the same time, I've been on the giving end, as many of you have as well. And for organizations, it made perfect sense. You don't want to feed a person's either or group's addiction. And it sound wise that this should go for food and clothing. And so I thought, that's great. I grabbed or took the debit cards. I was brought to another place where I was invited to pray if I wanted to. And then I was brought to a table where there was a whole line of different goods being offered. And people, mostly high school students that looked to me who were representing Tsuchi, would each put one of these goodies. Most of them were Taiwanese sweets, which were delicious. And there were also fresh produce and toothpaste and all these other things that were really helpful to have. So as I was going down, it felt like Halloween, you know, I was going from one to the next and seeing the smiles on the faces of those volunteering, it really left me with a really good feeling. And then, so I'm leaving Tsuchi and driving back and I'm thinking, you know, what an experience that was. On one hand, there were things that were profoundly honoring about it. You know, gifts are a way to honor others. And I felt like, wow, a Buddhist organization had honored a Christian both with these debit cards and with the various gifts they'd given. And the kindness extended to me that was honoring. But then there were other elements that were not so honoring that may have communicated a different message, made me feel a bit like a student rather than an adult, like those serving. And it led me to really reflect a lot on honor and shame and things that we do that can lift others up and things we can say or do subtly or not so subtly, that can put people down.
And I shared that story with you this morning because the dynamics of honor and shame, it seemed to me, are so crucial in understanding today's text from the Gospel of John, John, chapter 12, the passage we read. So much of the drama, the whole movement of this text turns on words or actions that convey honor, or in at least one case, convey dishonor or shame.
And so I invite you to consider that framework of honor and dishonor. In looking at this passage today, we read of a time when Jesus makes a return visit to Bethany. He'd been there before, you might remember, when he'd gotten word that Lazarus was ill and that Lazarus, in fact, had died. Jesus came to Bethany. And thanks to Jesus, Lazarus was given new life again, was resuscitated. Lazarus was the brother of Mary and Martha. And this family, according to John's Gospel, was really close to Jesus. And they welcomed Jesus into their home. When he came to Bethany for dinner. That's a really honoring gesture. Lazarus sat at the table with Jesus. Martha, we read, served Jesus. But Mary goes above and beyond what's expected. She does something extravagant and striking. She takes not an ounce, but a pound of expensive perfume and uses it to anoint Jesus feet such that the fragrance of the perfume fills the air. She then wipes his feet, not with a towel, but with her own hair. A remarkably intimate servant like move meant to bring honor to the person on whom it is extended.
When we try to look through ancient literature of this time, like what? This foot washing thing, what's that all about? We do find that in ancient texts it was quite a luxury to have your feet bathed, particularly in spices or in perfumes. We read of a time when an unheard of luxury was extended to guests. Slaves brought in ointment and silver basins and rubbed it on the feet of those who were reclining at the dinner table. And it was so strong, striking, it went down in history. This was not just washing the feet of a guest, but anointing them, putting oil on them.
This is exactly what Mary does. She takes on the role of a servant or slave and bathes the feet of Jesus in costly perfume. An extravagant act that lifts up Jesus and it foreshadows precisely the kind of action Jesus will model for his disciples. A short time later when you remember he will will bend down and wash his disciples feet and he will then wipe their feet with a towel. And the word for wipe is the same used in this passage and in that time of Jesus washing his disciples feet. And then he encourages them to do this to one another, to act in humble service toward each other that they might lift one another up, show respect to one another. And I wonder if the disciples as they were gathered with Jesus there at Mary and Martha's house. We read about Judas being there, so we figured other disciples were there as well. If they thought back on Mary washing Jesus feet when Jesus taught them to wash the feet of one another and do so in love.
Now some have wondered, might this act of Mary be a kind of a royal anointing? Might she be proclaiming this Jesus is king? And while that's possible, we don't think that's likely. First of all, when you would anoint a king, it was usually done on the head and not on the feet, and it was also done with oil and not with perfume. But what we do think that this foreshadows, what we do believe this act represents, is of a kind of anointing of Jesus body prior to his burial. Jesus will refer to his death in today's passage and Mary's action connected to that later in John's gospel when Jesus actually dies, you might remember that Nicodemus as well as Joseph of Arimathea, arranged to have Jesus dead body covered in spices, spices weighing some hundred pounds, and that those are wrapped with Jesus body as a way to honor him. A number of us were at a memorial service yesterday trying to give honor and respect to Gloria and Ross Kinzler, lifelong Presbyterian missionaries who resided over at Monte Vista Grove until their death in recent years. And that gathering was a way to give honor to them, their memory, their life witness. In ancient times, this kind of pudding, special spices, and anointing a body was a way to show honor. Mary does that for Jesus. Well, such a lavish extravagant act like that doesn't go unnoticed and it fills the house with the perfume and then we read, Judas has a conniption. Judas notices this and he says, that perfume could have been sold for 300 denarii. That's roughly a year's wages for a common laborer. And he says that money could have been given to the poor.
Judas seeks to shame Mary and shame Jesus for allowing this behavior. Why? Well, the narrator tells us Judas did this because he was a thief. In other words, he wanted that money for himself. He wanted to take from the common person. That's why it wasn't because he was concerned about the poor.
Jesus defends Mary, saying, leave her alone. And he points points to the power of Mary's act in honoring him prior to his death. He says, the poor you will have with you always, but you do not always have me.
Now his words about the poor might have recalled to his disciples minds the words of Deuteronomy 15, where God says this to the people.
The poor will never cease out of the land. Therefore I command you, open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land by telling Judas and his disciples that they will always have the poor with them. He's not saying don't care for them. He's saying, as back in the book of Deuteronomy, the poor will never cease from the land. And it is your call to care for them and serve them. In fact, many commentators go on to argue that by Jesus saying, the poor you will have with you always. He's saying, disciples, my friends, my followers, being in proximity to the poor, in service, in life, in caring, that is your position now and on into the future, you will always have the poor with you.
And there is a moment right now when the very God made flesh the glory of heaven, who came down to lift up the poor, to forgive sinners, to welcome all to the banquet of God's goodness and offer eternal life is right there in front of you. Don't miss it. Don't miss it. Receive it. Fall at his feast. Receive your Savior and the gift he is offering.
Jesus will say in John's Gospel, no one has greater love than this. That they lay down their life for their friends. That was the love Jesus would show to these people gathered at Mary and Martha and Lazarus home. That was the love he would show on the cross. That's the Savior we see in John's Gospel. And Mary's actions paint that portrait for us in ways that fill our senses with the sights and sounds and smells of God's love to the whole world as it fills that space.
And this action of Mary, of course is precisely what Jesus will then encourage his disciples to do. And he'll encourage them to do it not just to himself, but to one another. And then in John's gospel, the whole message is that as the community of faith, as the body of Christ serves one another, honors one another, they then go out in the world to honor and love the poor, the needy, the sinners, those outside the circle, and so show that love and mutual respect. Mutual honoring they have known in community that we see is the call of Christ that they get to not only honor one another, but go out into the world and be vessels of God's saving. Honoring, serving, love.
Well, I thought of this call to honor Jesus, honor one another, and honor those in need out in the world. This last Sunday, I was down in San Diego with our high school students for a confirmation retreat. And after worshiping with our hosts at La Jolla Presbyterian Church, we then spent the afternoon serving the urban poor at a ministry run by First Presbyterian Church of San Diego. This past Sunday, I was not on the receiving side of that desk. I was on the giving side of it.
Some of our group were tasked with receiving and storing the belongings that some of the guests who came to receive food or clothing or medical services or other kinds of care that were offered by First Presbyterian Church of San Diego. Many of them had either carts with them full of belongings or bikes or or other things. Some of them had all their possessions with them because they didn't have a house to call their own. And some of our group took those items and held them in storage, giving them a kind of a jacket key so that then they could pick them up after they'd gotten food and other services that were being offered. I was told to be one of those people at the clothing donation line. I was charged with making sure that people didn't cut in the line, but rather waited their turn to then go to one of four tables where clothing was being offered. Sadly, donations were down, so they were only able to offer one piece of clothing per guest. And that was hard to have to communicate to people. But as I was working with folks, I was thinking about that experience at Tuti, and I was thinking about this story of Jesus and thinking how, in my words, in my actions, could I somehow some way communicate respect? Is there some way I can make the people who are coming in feel a little higher than when they came in?
I got to take a brief break and I went over to visit Finn, who was working at the station where they were receiving cell phones and other digital devices that Guests might bring, so those could be charged, and then guests could leave with them when they were fully charged. And Finn was clearly very busy. There was a line there, but behind her, I saw a picture that I've kept with me ever since. Behind her, on a massage table was a person who looked like they had likely been experiencing homelessness. And there was a volunteer representing this ministry of First Presbyterian Church of San Diego. And he or she, I couldn't tell who it was. I could just see hands that were massaging this person's feet.
And I thought, what a powerful act of love. What a powerful act of honoring another in the name of Christ.
One reason it may be that that action shone so brightly to my eyes, because there's so many words and actions in the world right now that show, to my eye, at least, great dishonor to the poor and to the vulnerable, to people like those we were serving at First Presbyterian Church of San Diego. Programs that benefit the poor nationally and globally are getting gutted. Vulnerable groups like immigrants, racial ethnic minorities, and sexual minorities are getting denigrated. We hear the voice of Judas too often today that, seeking our own financial gain, are eager to say, shame on you to the poor and vulnerable. That category of people the Hebrew scriptures so often call out to God's people to defend, not denigrate, the widow, the orphan, the immigrant.
Jesus says to them, it seems to me, as he said to Judas, leave her alone.
Stop it. Leave them alone. A follower of mine does not shame those who seek to honor me and honor what I am about in my words and actions. Your work as followers, Jesus says, is indeed caring for the poor, as the book of Deuteronomy commanded. That ministry will be with you always. Do it in my name, but also right now. Recognize the very incarnation of God's love to the poor, the humble, the outcast, the sinner, to all the world. To you whom God loves. It's right in front of you. In our Savior and teacher, Jesus Christ, proclaim that. Honoring Savior in word and deed. Friends, may we honor in our worship and in our service out in the world that Savior who came to show us and all the world the very honor of God's glory. In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, amen.
