June 18, 2006

Remember when you were young and you admired someone older than you? When we lived in Utah we would often spend our weekends an hour south of Monticello in a little town of 200 people called Bluff. The Foushees had built a motel there in the late sixties called Recapture Lodge. My parents became fast friends with them. Their son, Geno, was three or four years older than me and I thought he was simply amazing. He could whittle, he could run fast, he could throw a perfect spiral with the football, his G.I. Joe was better than mine, and the thing that fascinated me most and garnered the greatest of my admiration was that he could draw like Michaelangelo.

I spent lots of time trying to be like him. I tried to whittle like he did, but I couldn’t. I tried to play football as readily as he could, but I failed. And I really was inspired to try to become an artist like him. I couldn’t excel as he did then, but later, in high school and college, I did. Do you know why? Because I learned not just to try to draw the things he drew, but to think about the process of drawing in a whole new way. In fact, once my thinking changed, my drawing improved. I remember the day well, when, many years later he commended me for a drawing I had done.

This message is titled, "Think Like Mary." Today, we are going to see one of the most justly famous examples of worship and devotion in the history of Christianity. Jesus is the one who said it would be famous. And it has to do with a woman who loved Christ and what she did about it. But I believe the secret to what she did is not the action itself, (which, now that Christ is in heaven with the Father, we can never imitate) but in the way she thought. So our goal is to think like her. And here is where we are headed in our study today:

A. We look at the final verses of chapter 11 to understand the context of chapter twelve. It is clear that Jesus has a death threat looming over Him.

B. We see how Jesus is received when He reaches Bethany just six days before the Passover.

C. We see the scandalous act that Mary performs and how Judas Iscariot is repulsed by it. We will take our time and note the stark differences between those two very significant followers of Christ.

D. Finally, we are going to consider Mary of Bethany as an example of spiritual maturity and one worthy of our imitation. Ultimately, we want to discover how we can think like Mary so that we might follow Christ as faithfully as she did.

v. 54

v. 55

v. 56

v. 57

Thus we come to the passage we want to examine today and we see what happened to Jesus when He came to Bethany before the Passover.

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Let us proceed verse-by-verse through the description of this remarkable event.

But first, we should note that this episode is also recorded in Mark 14 and Matthew 26. There are some additional things we learn from those accounts that John does not mention.

(By the way, almost all commentators think that this passage in John 12 and the one in Mark and Matthew are all descriptions of the same event. You can make your own decision as you examine the passages, but for now let us assume that each one of these gospel writers record this same significant occurrence in the last week of Jesus’ earthly life. )

In both Mark and Matthew, it is recorded that the dinner takes place at the home of Simon the Leper. This presents a remarkable juxtaposition. As one scholar stated, "between the raised Lazarus and the healed leper, the Lord probably sits as between two trophies of His glory." In addition, the ointment is applied to Christ’s head. There is no contradiction here. As we will see, the quantity of ointment would have been sufficient to cover His head and His feet. We will mention the other additional perspective that Mark and Matthew give to this story later. Back to John’s account . . .

v. 1

Jesus arrives six days before Passover in Bethany, a town at the Mount of Olives, about two miles from Jerusalem along the road to Jericho. One question that naturally arises is: when would this have been?

Passover took place on Friday, the day before the Sabbath. It was observed generally on the 14^th day of the month Nisan. Because the Jews had a lunar calendar, that makes the Passover fall on different dates each year towards the end of March or beginning of April in our calendar.

Note also that the Jews from southern Palestine reckoned a day as beginning in the evening and extending to the following evening. Thus, Passover that year, for those in Jerusalem would have started on Thursday evening and run through Friday evening.

This means that Jesus likely arrived in Bethany on the previous Saturday (which is the Sabbath).

Thus begins Jesus’ last week and the most significant week in human history.

Note how Lazarus is described here: "he whom Jesus had raised from the dead." What a title! What distinction! Do you see this man who had been called "the one whom Jesus loves" in the previous chapter (11:3) is now also, "he whom Jesus raised from the dead"? Lazarus was a remarkable human being. He was loved by Christ and raised by Christ. In this way Lazarus is the prototype of a Christian. And to the degree that we see Lazarus as a remarkable man of great distinction, we need to refresh our understanding of the sheer miracle that it is to be a Christian, to be loved by Christ and to experience His new life. Like Lazarus’ life, your mere existence is a testimony of God’s power and a beacon of His glory. You are an object of His mercy and as such you are an artifact of His glorious kindness.

We spend too little time meditating on the wonder of merely being loved by God, but it is that very thing that Paul prayed the Ephesians would truly know (as though many never do) that they "being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that [they] may be filled up to all the fullness of God."

v.2

They made a supper for Jesus there. It appears that Jesus is the reason for the supper. This makes complete sense when we consider it. Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead there not more than two or three months earlier, perhaps even more recently. It only stands to reason that Lazarus would be one of the most talked of people in Bethany and Jerusalem. The story of his resurrection would have traveled far by now and Jesus rightly received the credit. No wonder everyone in Jerusalem preparing for the Passover was talking about Christ. Now, just a week before his crucifixion, He is the honored guest at a dinner in Bethany.

Martha was serving at the meal. We can presume she did so with great enthusiasm and without the bitterness toward her sister that she had at an earlier supper with Jesus. That supper is recorded in Luke 10: 38-42. Remember the classic contrast drawn in that account? Martha is busy and also bothered about the preparations and details of the supper. Mary her sister is oblivious to those details. She is sitting at Christ’s feet, listening to His word. When Martha asks Jesus to rebuke Mary for her neglect of duty, Jesus makes this remarkable observation: Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only a few things are necessary, really only one, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

In this one passage we see such a contrast between those sisters and we gain perspective on what is essential in life. Relevant to our study today, we must remember that Mary had found it.

It is reasonable to suppose, however, that Martha now served with the kind of patience and eagerness and contentedness that animates those who understand what is truly important.

Also, this verse shows us that Lazarus, himself, was at the dinner with Jesus. This is a natural thing since both of his sisters are there, and we could only assume that Lazarus, as the unwitting victim of the powerful working of the Resurrection and the Life loved Jesus even more and with more fear and wonder than could be imagined. No doubt he was eager to be with Christ and to be close to Him.

v. 3.

Mary had a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard. Let us consider this for a moment. A pound at that time was equivalent to about 12 ounces. It was called a "litra" in Greek. Nard is a plant native to India that produces a very sought-after, fragrant oil. This was a perfume derived from that plant and it was pure. Thus, we have not only expensive perfume or ointment here, but we have the best that money could buy. This could indicate that Mary and Martha and Lazarus are from a well-to-do Jewish family in Bethany. We also have an incredibly large quantity of this pure perfume. Today, real perfume is sold by the ounce or half-ounce. An ounce of water weighs about an ounce by weight. Thus, Mary’s litra of spikenard would have been about 12 ounces of liquid. For genuine perfume that would represent a lot of money.

In fact, Judas gives a sense of the value of this pound of nard in verse four when he says that it could have been sold for 300 denarii. This would be the equivalent of a laborer’s wages for one year. Now, if we want a real sense of the value of this liquid, we have only to think how much the average man in America makes in a year. What should we say? $30,000, $40 thousand, $60 thousand? Let us be conservative. If we want to appreciate the significance of Mary’s act, we should realize that she has a great quantity of very pure perfume or ointment that would have been imported from another land. It’s worth would be at least 30,000 dollars. There are many things one can buy today with that sort of money. One can purchase a brand new nice car. One could make a downpayment on a house. One could support oneself for a year. But what is Mary going to do with such a precious thing?

As Jesus and Lazarus and the others were reclining at the table at this festive supper in Bethany six days before the Passover, Mary brings this perfume to the supper and look what she does. She pours it out on Jesus. She does not just pour it out on His head, but on His feet. And then she wipes His feet with her hair.

This is an incredible act. Consider first the amount of money she is spending in this act of devotion. Since when has it cost you $30,000 to show your love to God in an evening? Then consider that only the lowest servants were expected to clean the feet of a guest. As Morris points out, "to attend to the feet was the task of the most lowly slave" not something a distinguished woman would do. In a well-known ancient anecdote, D.A. Carson relates that when a "Rabbi Ishmael returned home from synagogue one day and his mother wished to wash his feet, he refused on the ground that the task was too demeaning. She took the matter to the rabbinic court on the ground that she viewed the task, in his case, as an honour. "

And finally consider that a proper Jewish woman never unbound or untied her hair in public. It was a sign of a loose life and a shady character. Not only did her action cost her dearly financially, it was a sacrifice that would have shocked and distressed some of those at the table. She was taking the role of the lowest member of society in washing Jesus’ feet. She was untying her hair in disregard of the mores of the day, and then she took her hair as one would take a towel and uses it to clean and wash the feet of Christ.

This was not done in a corner. The fragrance of the perfume "filled the whole house." In other words, no one could help but notice what was happening to Jesus and some would have been, at the very least, very uncomfortable. But not Mary and not Jesus Christ. Please note that Jesus allowed her to touch him, to "waste" all of this expensive perfume on Himself and to wipe His feet with her hair. Would I allow someone to serve me this way? Peter didn’t want Jesus to wash His feet later in John’s gospel. But Jesus receives this from Mary. We will consider the implications of Mary’s act of service a bit later. Let us proceed.

v. 4

Right away we have a contradiction in this description of Judas. At first he is described as a disciple of Christ. That means he is one of the twelve people chosen purposely by Christ to follow Him. That means that he has left all he had to be with Christ and the other disciples. It means that he has seen every miracle Christ has performed; he has heard every bit of truth that Christ has spoken. And YET, he intends to betray Him. The very one he has been following, he is soon to sell to death for thirty pieces of silver. John, in his gospel written after the facts, is clear in calling him one of the disciples and a traitor in the same sentence. Wow.

Look at Judas’ response to Mary’s act of love toward Christ.

v. 5

"Why wasn’t this perfume sold and given to the poor?"

In this one statement he seems to be insinuating that this perfume would be better used to help poor people than to be spent on Jesus Christ. It sort of makes some spiritual sense to us initially doesn’t it. Poor people need food and clothing. Jesus’ feet will survive without perfume, won’t they? It is almost as though he is simply stating: Mary, your foolish use of this perfume is a tragic waste. That is a pretty bold statement for a disciple to make. But remember that in her action, Mary has violated several social mores and is therefore, according to common sense morality, in a vulnerable position. Judas seems to capitalize on this. But the poor, the Scriptures tell us, are not Judas’ real concern.

v.6

Rather than seeing a wasted ministry opportunity to the poor, Judas actually saw wasted personal profit in Mary’s action. He realized that she could have sold the perfume for a vast sum and that it would have been entrusted into his care, since he had charge over the common money the disciples used. Thus, though he sounds like a very pious and socially-compassionate follower of Christ, Judas is actually a thief and a hypocrite and a traitor. Thus the world masks its hatred of Christ and Christ’s followers and Christ’s ways, often under the pretense of compassion.

Look at the stark contrast present by these two followers of Christ, Judas and Mary.

Mary exemplifies what worship is like:

1. It can be sacrificial and expensive. It costs to follow and worship and obey Christ.

2. It is sincere and humble. How else can you explain the fact that she focused on His feet and that she used her hair as a towel other than sincerity and humility. In this way, worship is content to take the servant’s role.

3. It can be public. Mary performed this loving act in front of a what was likely a large banquet.

4. It may not always make sense practically. Mary was, in every account of her in the Scriptures, often very impractical in her devotion to Christ.

5. Finally, sincere worship means that we may do things that are much more prophetic or significant than we realize. She had no real understanding (we assume) that He was to die in six days. Thus, though she meant it as an act of devotion, she was also preparing His body for burial.

In contrast, Judas exemplifies what the world thinks of worship:

1. The world cannot really make sense of worship in action or of worshipful obedience. It does not calculate in the terms that the world uses.

2. The world finds it a waste. What good can possibly come, in the world’s estimation, from devoting one’s means, one’s actions, one’s life to a Being that cannot be seen with physical eyes?

3. The world often elevates people and social causes over Christ Himself. This is perhaps one of the most nefarious tendencies in American Christianity. The liberal American churches which have embraced theologies in which the Scriptures are flawed and miracles are myth and Christ is not risen have nothing left to their meetings, nor no other purpose for their existence than social causes. Without God all that is left is man. And if the church is only about loving our neighbor because there is no living Christ who deserves the love of our minds, hearts, and souls, then when disciples of Christ actually do live lives of love to the risen Christ, they do not appeal to the world, they do not fit in the world, and they certainly can never make sense to the world.

Judas saw the perfume in terms of personal gain; Mary saw it in terms of sacrificial love and devotion. Judas saw it as a means to satisfy his greed. Mary saw it as a means of worship.

Which disciple did Jesus extol in this passage?

v. 7-8

Jesus rebukes the hypocrite. Jesus defends His sincere follower. He justifies her waste. He commands that her act be allowed to stand since it was, unknown to Mary, exactly fitting with the schedule of God.

As a side note, it is ironic that Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life, the one who raised from the dead the man reclining at the table with Him, is speaking here of his burial. But so he is. The irony is so thick that the disciples are deaf to it.

Please also note that Jesus does not say that a concern for the poor is illegitimate. He does not say that followers of Christ should not give sacrificially to the poor. In fact, the Scriptures are loaded with injunctions to consider the poor and care for them. Deuteronomy 15:11 echoes Christ’s words: For the poor will never cease to be in the land; therefore I command you, saying, "You shall freely open your hand to your brother, to your needy and poor in your land."

But He is saying that there is a time for everything. And He is saying that Mary’s lavish gift, though it could indeed have benefited many poor, was right and fitting and proper, as all acts of sincere devotion and worship are.

Mark and Matthew also finish this episode with Jesus’ prophecy that "wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, that also which this woman has done shall be spoken of in memory of her." John, himself, in the second verse of chapter 11 when he is trying to explain to the reader who Lazarus was, begins by saying that he is the brother of "the Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair." It seems assumed by his tone that his first century readers would have known precisely whom he meant when he mentioned this act. That is, Mary was famous for her devotion to Christ, and her devotion found its greatest, most memorable expression in what happened at the feast in Bethany six days before the Passover.

It seems obvious that the big question this passage provokes is, why? Why would Mary risk and spend so much to take the place of a slave and anoint the feet of Christ? What motives animated her actions? What precisely was she thinking?

Though there may have been many things in her mind, at least three seem indisputable.

1. First, Mary would have been consumed with thankfulness to Jesus. She was acquainted with the piercing grief of death. Her brother had died. But her grief was violently transformed when her brother came back to life. It must have seemed to her, rightly so, that Jesus had raised him to life just for her sake. There is no selfishness in that thought. In fact, we are instructed in the Scriptures to believe that Christ’s death and resurrection is actually something He has done for our sakes personally. So, to be an eyewitness to your own deceased brother’s resurrection is to see how much Jesus Christ loves you. For that, she could not thank Him enough. He is the Resurrection and the Life, but for Mary, He is her resurrection and her life. She was overwhelmed with thankfulness toward her Saviour.

2. Second, she, among all of His followers, truly comprehended Who Christ is. To see a dead man come back to life at the bidding of Jesus Christ is to realize that He is God. Even before Lazarus’ resurrection, when she was sitting at His feet (a place she willingly occupied often) and listened to His word, she shows that she knows. Mary, of all the disciples, gets it! When Philip says to Jesus on the night before His crucifixion—at the end of three years of hearing His teaching—"Lord, show us the Father and it is enough for us," he demonstrates that he doesn’t yet get it. When Mary anoints His feet with monstrously expensive perfume and wipes His feet with her hair, she demonstrates that she does. She gets it. She knows who He is.

After all, who precisely, do you think you are praying to? Who are you allegedly seeking to please? Who do you really worship? Do you really understand who it is you are dealing with? He is God, Himself, and as such, is eminently worth our time and toil and devotion and enjoyment.

3. Finally, Mary was committed to demonstrated love. She loved Him so much that she was always eagerly seeking a way to demonstrate her love toward Him. Her affection for Him was like water on a mountain. No matter what obstacles it may encounter in its path, it will find a way to flow down. In the same way, there was no sense of shame, or stuffy social propriety, or shyness that she could not overcome in order to publicly, sacrificially and humbly express her sincere love and devotion to her Saviour.

Is it possible that we should think like her? Isn’t it fitting that He who died for you would be the One you cannot get enough time with? Isn’t it just sensible that if we really understand what Christ has done for us, if we actually comprehend who He is, if we really love Him that that love will color and temper every day of our lives and find some form of expression in the way we live and talk and act?

It was just one of many incidents recorded in the gospels. And Mary was just one of many women who were gladly His followers. But the events of that night are known to us today, nearly 2000 years later. Recall again Jesus’ prophecy that "wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, that also which this woman has done shall be spoken of in memory of her." How truly he spoke; and how worthy her example to us. May God help us think like her.