Devotion vs Deception. Generosity vs Greed

John 12:1-8 

We are getting closer to the end.  Jesus and the disciples are readying to go to Jerusalem for the Passover observance, and as we know now, the cross. It’s not surprising that on the way they stop to visit Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. The last time Jesus saw Lazarus, he was standing before Lazarus’ tomb calling the dead man to come out.

Lazarus is a constant reminder to the Jewish religious elite of the power of Jesus, increasing their anger towards him.  Yet he is not the focus of this story.  This scripture is a lesson about two very different people with two very different agendas – Lazarus’ sister, Mary and Judas Iscariot, the only disciple mentioned here.

In our Lenten Bible study, we talked about Judas.  We wondered why and when he turned to evil.  Jesus called him to be one of the twelve.  Was Judas always weak and the Devil picked him?  Did Jesus intentionally call him as he was needed to play a key role in his mission.  His role has been to take care of the finances of the twelve.  Judas’ morality has been questioned throughout church history.  Augustine’s view is that

“Judas did not become perverted only at the time when he yielded to the bribery of the Jews and betrayed his Lord.… But he was already a thief, already lost, and he followed our Lord in body but not with his heart”.

Could it be possible that Judas was corrupted by his position and access to power?  We have certainly seen this happen in the Old Testament and in our own time.  Why wasn’t he redeemed by his daily living with the truth of Jesus?  There is a famous saying, "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely."(Lord Acton January 1834 – 19 June 1902, English Catholic historian, politician, writer).

So many leaders in the Bible, crumble from power by yielding to temptation.  Power begets arrogance.  Remember Moses?  Many years of faithfully following God, but then what happened?  God had instructed Moses to speak to the rock to bring forth water for the people, demonstrating his power and holiness.  Instead of speaking to the rock, Moses struck it twice, rebuking the people and claiming the miracle was from him, not God.  Acting like you are God, gets you in trouble. Deuteronomy 32:51-52 states that Moses “will see the land only from a distance; you will not enter the land I am giving to the people of Israel."

David sexually assaults Bethsheba and contrives her husband’s death.  People have always struggled with power, authority, and stewardship.  From Adam’s forbidden use of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, down to today.

Take a moment and imagine yourself as a disciple to Jesus.  A witness to his miracles, being part of the chosen twelve, insiders.  Might that affect your ego?  Especially from the status of who you were before Jesus called you.  And then think of yourself as Mary, whose brother Lazarus, Jesus raised from the dead.

Andreas Köstenberger, Professor, suggests that  "The account of the anointing is, at its core, a tale of contrasts: Mary’s lavish devotion to Jesus is set against the backdrop of the looming prospect of Judas’s betrayal of his master."

Mary’s act appears to foreshadow the action of Jesus at the Last Supper when he will “wash the feet of the disciples and dry with the towel with which he was girded” (13:5).The anointing by Mary is as remarkable for its reckless extravagance as the footwashing by Jesus is for its reversal of expected roles. She takes a pound of pure nard, an expensive perfume, costing about $360 which costs twice as much today based on this half-ounce I have here in my hand. It comes from the very rare spikenard plant.  Mary demonstrates extravagant love. She doesn’t count the cost. She doesn’t hold back. Mary’s love is personal. She kneels at Jesus’ feet, anointing him, wiping his feet with her hair which is usually covered per Jewish custom.  This is an intimate, humble act—one of total devotion.

Judas, by contrast, responds with cynicism. He questions the use of resources, arguing that the money could have been given to the poor. But John makes it clear that Judas’ motives are not pure—he was a thief, helping himself to the common purse.  He has sold out.

The question for us today is: what gifts are we bringing into the world? Are we spreading the love of Christ with extravagance, with devotion, with humility? Or are we, like Judas, holding back, caught up in cynicism or self-interest?

The hope is that we pour out our hearts in service and worship. This has been a busy and demanding year for our church members.  Our steeple, the Beacon of Christianity as I think of it, for our community, demands attention.  Extra prayers, extra fundraisers, extra time has been required of our small church community.  Frustration and fatigue can arise.

So let us remember, as we draw closer to Holy Week, that the story of Mary is in scripture to remind us what it means to follow Jesus—not with half-measures, but with all that we are. Love is costly.  Do we not know this by Jesus’ gift to us? His love costs him his life.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, help us love as Mary loved—with devotion, humility, and extravagance. Fill our hearts with the fragrance of your grace, that we may be a blessing to those around us. Amen.