Sermon – Extravagantly Generous Rev. Sandy Lacey April 06, 2025
I’ve got to say that if I am Martha in this story, I am not happy. First off, my sister Mary has found a way to get out of helping me prepare and serve the meal . . . again. Secondly, Judas decides he must make a point and, of course, proceeds to make everyone uncomfortable. You could have cut the tension in the air with a knife with the things he said. And thirdly, the guest of honor ruins the party I had planned by talking about . . . dying. That was a real celebration killer. My best laid plans went out the window. . .
It has not been long since Jesus had performed the amazing miracle of bringing our brother Lazarus back to life from the dead. A house that was filled with mourning and sadness turned to dancing and rejoicing as soon as Jesus arrived and resurrected him. We decided, in our gratitude, to host a special dinner for Jesus several days later. You can imagine that the family worked hard for a few days to get everything just right for this special occasion. We made a list and checked things off: bread done – check, Chicken Cacciatore in the oven – check, veggie tray and appetizers out – check, wine ready to pour – check, welcome sign and decorations in place – check, music ready – check. What was not expected by the guests, however, is that Mary decides this is an opportune time to express her gratitude and love to Jesus for what he did to bring our brother back to us. She expressed her gratitude by lavishing expensive perfume on his feet, then drying them with her hair – such an embarrassingly intimate act. She reverently cares for him as if she were his servant. What is amazing about her action is just how generous it was – the perfume she lavished upon his feet represented the cost of a year’s salary and the scent was so strong that it filled the entire house and will probably linger in the air for quite some time. The generosity and smell stood in stark contrast to just a few days ago when the home held the smell of death and mourning.
This embarrassing display by Mary caused a stir and it was not long before the ever-practical Judas asked the question that was probably on everyone’s mind: “couldn’t the money for the perfume have been spent more usefully?” Mary’s extravagance was so lavish that it really did beg the question that Judas asked. Jesus squelched the argument that Judas started, though, with some pretty odd words about Mary’s actions preparing his body for burial. Many of us raised our eyebrows at that and Judas had no response. In fact, Judas and the rest of us were confused by Jesus’ response. Everything got real quiet after Jesus’ pronouncement – not even Peter said anything this time. We thought, “well he has been talking about dying but is it coming so soon?” No one quite felt like a party after that.
In reality, the text tells us nothing about Martha’s feelings, nor do we know the feelings of the others present. We also do not know if the other disciples felt the same way as Judas about Mary’s extravagance. We can only speculate. This is one of the stories that all four Gospels report, albeit in different ways. In Mark and Matthew, the woman is unnamed who anoints Jesus with the costly perfume, and it is the disciples (plural) or others who object to it, rather than just Judas. The event happens at Simon the leper’s house and the woman anoints his head rather than his feet in the Gospels of Mark and Matthew. In Luke’s Gospel, the woman is also unnamed, but she is identified as a sinner, crying as she anoints and wipes Jesus’ feet. In Matthew, Mark, and John’s versions, Jesus credits Mary (or the woman) with preparing him for burial. In those three Gospels, Jesus responds to the critics for the extravagant use of resources by saying, “you always have the poor with you but you do not always have me.”
Because all four Gospels have this story, in one version or another, the story must be important. I suspect it is important for reasons other than what I have occasionally heard from some people – “this is the place where Jesus tells us what he really thinks about the poor.” Similarly, I have heard it said that Jesus is telling us some sort of prescriptive thing about the poor – such as “they are always going to be around;” or “there is nothing we can do about the poor, so let’s not even worry about them.” So, is the larger point of the passage to make some sort of statement about the poor? I think not. In the phrase, “you always have the poor with you,” Jesus quotes the Torah – Deuteronomy 15 – specifically, vs. 11. The rest of the verse is “I therefore command you, ‘Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land.'” Earlier in that same chapter in vs. 7, it also says “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.” Since Jesus knew the Torah, studied the Torah, and quoted the Torah, I find it extremely hard to believe that he was telling Judas not to worry about the poor. I suspect, instead, he was refocusing Judas to what was right in front of him – the likelihood of Jesus’ imminent death. And he chose to honor Mary’s compassion, care, and generosity as he prepared for what is to come. This is the first time in John’s Gospel that Jesus tells his friends and disciples that he will die. Mary’s insight, kindness and generosity is to be respected and honored, according to Jesus. It makes me wonder if she knew the trouble Jesus was in? Was she the only one who understood the animosity surrounding him, especially since he resurrected Lazarus? Jesus did say, “you always have the poor with you,” but we know that Jesus did care about the poor because he was taught to from the Hebrew Scriptures. On this day, however, Jesus also cared about Mary’s choice to be extravagantly generous.
The truth is such generosity is embarrassing to watch for a whole host of reasons. It is a reminder to those of us watching just how non-generous we are. To watch someone display such raw emotion and kindness is challenging and it makes us want to look away. It is too honest, we think, and we would prefer to keep our emotions/our lives more “close to the vest.” Most of us can relate in some small way to Judas in this passage.
We pastor types have difficult decisions to make sometimes. You may think we have it all together and know the absolute right thing to say and do in every circumstance; however, the truth is that we must learn and discern God’s direction just like you. In my first called church position in South Alabama, I foolishly allowed myself to be talked into helping to facilitate the renovation of the church parlor. I should have remembered the advice I received in Seminary about NEVER messing with the women of the church but alas, I thought I could help. All went reasonably well until we were nearly finished with the project. The beautiful new hardwood floors needed area rugs, it seemed . . . and that is when life became challenging for this pastor type. This one woman on the committee wanted to purchase beautiful oriental rugs that were VERY expensive. I related that we could not justify such an expense for a rug, that our budget could not accommodate it. Her response to me was that she really wanted them for the room and that she would be willing to donate the rugs herself. When I asked her why, she tearfully related that she wanted to honor the deceased women saints of the church in this way. She said that a number of those saints had left us in the past few years, and she wanted to keep their memories and ministries alive in some small way. She related that this was the best way she could think of to do it. I wondered with her about how we could justify such an extravagant expense (covered by whomever) when we had people coming to the church every day looking for food and financial help just to survive. It gave the appearance, I said, that temporal stuff was more important than people. I used the script right out of Judas’ handbook. I may have wondered about appearances, but I cannot help but wonder if Jesus would have been more concerned about this woman’s heart. I confess that I don’t really know the answer to what Jesus would have said, but the rugs she provided do look beautiful in the room. And the church continued to honor its mission and ministry to the poor in the community as well.
Following this episode in John, Jesus will use Mary’s example of servant leadership to demonstrate to his disciples what true leadership and discipleship looks like. Like she washed his feet, he will wash the disciples’ feet in just a few short days to help them understand humility, love, and compassion as it relates to leadership.
My favorite poet, Ann Weems says, “an extravagance of the heart is a fine and beautiful thing” in her poem about Mary’s loving action.[1] In this season of Lent, I invite you to examine your heart. Jesus lifts Mary as an example for discipleship. Discipleship, therefore, looks like putting aside differences, pride, selfishness, and particular agendas in favor of bowing before others and donning a towel. Discipleship looks like compassion, devotion, and extravagantly generous with our resources as we demonstrate our love for Jesus. Mary did it. May we find it in our heart to do the same. AMEN.
_____
[1] Ann Weems, “Counting the Cost” in Kneeling in Jerusalem. (Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1993.) p. 55.
I’ve got to say that if I am Martha in this story, I am not happy. First off, my sister Mary has found a way to get out of helping me prepare and serve the meal . . . again. Secondly, Judas decides he must make a point and, of course, proceeds to make everyone uncomfortable. You could have cut the tension in the air with a knife with the things he said. And thirdly, the guest of honor ruins the party I had planned by talking about . . . dying. That was a real celebration killer. My best laid plans went out the window. . .
It has not been long since Jesus had performed the amazing miracle of bringing our brother Lazarus back to life from the dead. A house that was filled with mourning and sadness turned to dancing and rejoicing as soon as Jesus arrived and resurrected him. We decided, in our gratitude, to host a special dinner for Jesus several days later. You can imagine that the family worked hard for a few days to get everything just right for this special occasion. We made a list and checked things off: bread done – check, Chicken Cacciatore in the oven – check, veggie tray and appetizers out – check, wine ready to pour – check, welcome sign and decorations in place – check, music ready – check. What was not expected by the guests, however, is that Mary decides this is an opportune time to express her gratitude and love to Jesus for what he did to bring our brother back to us. She expressed her gratitude by lavishing expensive perfume on his feet, then drying them with her hair – such an embarrassingly intimate act. She reverently cares for him as if she were his servant. What is amazing about her action is just how generous it was – the perfume she lavished upon his feet represented the cost of a year’s salary and the scent was so strong that it filled the entire house and will probably linger in the air for quite some time. The generosity and smell stood in stark contrast to just a few days ago when the home held the smell of death and mourning.
This embarrassing display by Mary caused a stir and it was not long before the ever-practical Judas asked the question that was probably on everyone’s mind: “couldn’t the money for the perfume have been spent more usefully?” Mary’s extravagance was so lavish that it really did beg the question that Judas asked. Jesus squelched the argument that Judas started, though, with some pretty odd words about Mary’s actions preparing his body for burial. Many of us raised our eyebrows at that and Judas had no response. In fact, Judas and the rest of us were confused by Jesus’ response. Everything got real quiet after Jesus’ pronouncement – not even Peter said anything this time. We thought, “well he has been talking about dying but is it coming so soon?” No one quite felt like a party after that.
In reality, the text tells us nothing about Martha’s feelings, nor do we know the feelings of the others present. We also do not know if the other disciples felt the same way as Judas about Mary’s extravagance. We can only speculate. This is one of the stories that all four Gospels report, albeit in different ways. In Mark and Matthew, the woman is unnamed who anoints Jesus with the costly perfume, and it is the disciples (plural) or others who object to it, rather than just Judas. The event happens at Simon the leper’s house and the woman anoints his head rather than his feet in the Gospels of Mark and Matthew. In Luke’s Gospel, the woman is also unnamed, but she is identified as a sinner, crying as she anoints and wipes Jesus’ feet. In Matthew, Mark, and John’s versions, Jesus credits Mary (or the woman) with preparing him for burial. In those three Gospels, Jesus responds to the critics for the extravagant use of resources by saying, “you always have the poor with you but you do not always have me.”
Because all four Gospels have this story, in one version or another, the story must be important. I suspect it is important for reasons other than what I have occasionally heard from some people – “this is the place where Jesus tells us what he really thinks about the poor.” Similarly, I have heard it said that Jesus is telling us some sort of prescriptive thing about the poor – such as “they are always going to be around;” or “there is nothing we can do about the poor, so let’s not even worry about them.” So, is the larger point of the passage to make some sort of statement about the poor? I think not. In the phrase, “you always have the poor with you,” Jesus quotes the Torah – Deuteronomy 15 – specifically, vs. 11. The rest of the verse is “I therefore command you, ‘Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land.'” Earlier in that same chapter in vs. 7, it also says “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.” Since Jesus knew the Torah, studied the Torah, and quoted the Torah, I find it extremely hard to believe that he was telling Judas not to worry about the poor. I suspect, instead, he was refocusing Judas to what was right in front of him – the likelihood of Jesus’ imminent death. And he chose to honor Mary’s compassion, care, and generosity as he prepared for what is to come. This is the first time in John’s Gospel that Jesus tells his friends and disciples that he will die. Mary’s insight, kindness and generosity is to be respected and honored, according to Jesus. It makes me wonder if she knew the trouble Jesus was in? Was she the only one who understood the animosity surrounding him, especially since he resurrected Lazarus? Jesus did say, “you always have the poor with you,” but we know that Jesus did care about the poor because he was taught to from the Hebrew Scriptures. On this day, however, Jesus also cared about Mary’s choice to be extravagantly generous.
The truth is such generosity is embarrassing to watch for a whole host of reasons. It is a reminder to those of us watching just how non-generous we are. To watch someone display such raw emotion and kindness is challenging and it makes us want to look away. It is too honest, we think, and we would prefer to keep our emotions/our lives more “close to the vest.” Most of us can relate in some small way to Judas in this passage.
We pastor types have difficult decisions to make sometimes. You may think we have it all together and know the absolute right thing to say and do in every circumstance; however, the truth is that we must learn and discern God’s direction just like you. In my first called church position in South Alabama, I foolishly allowed myself to be talked into helping to facilitate the renovation of the church parlor. I should have remembered the advice I received in Seminary about NEVER messing with the women of the church but alas, I thought I could help. All went reasonably well until we were nearly finished with the project. The beautiful new hardwood floors needed area rugs, it seemed . . . and that is when life became challenging for this pastor type. This one woman on the committee wanted to purchase beautiful oriental rugs that were VERY expensive. I related that we could not justify such an expense for a rug, that our budget could not accommodate it. Her response to me was that she really wanted them for the room and that she would be willing to donate the rugs herself. When I asked her why, she tearfully related that she wanted to honor the deceased women saints of the church in this way. She said that a number of those saints had left us in the past few years, and she wanted to keep their memories and ministries alive in some small way. She related that this was the best way she could think of to do it. I wondered with her about how we could justify such an extravagant expense (covered by whomever) when we had people coming to the church every day looking for food and financial help just to survive. It gave the appearance, I said, that temporal stuff was more important than people. I used the script right out of Judas’ handbook. I may have wondered about appearances, but I cannot help but wonder if Jesus would have been more concerned about this woman’s heart. I confess that I don’t really know the answer to what Jesus would have said, but the rugs she provided do look beautiful in the room. And the church continued to honor its mission and ministry to the poor in the community as well.
Following this episode in John, Jesus will use Mary’s example of servant leadership to demonstrate to his disciples what true leadership and discipleship looks like. Like she washed his feet, he will wash the disciples’ feet in just a few short days to help them understand humility, love, and compassion as it relates to leadership.
My favorite poet, Ann Weems says, “an extravagance of the heart is a fine and beautiful thing” in her poem about Mary’s loving action.[1] In this season of Lent, I invite you to examine your heart. Jesus lifts Mary as an example for discipleship. Discipleship, therefore, looks like putting aside differences, pride, selfishness, and particular agendas in favor of bowing before others and donning a towel. Discipleship looks like compassion, devotion, and extravagantly generous with our resources as we demonstrate our love for Jesus. Mary did it. May we find it in our heart to do the same. AMEN.
_____
[1] Ann Weems, “Counting the Cost” in Kneeling in Jerusalem. (Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1993.) p. 55.