John 12:1-8; Psalm 126 "True Christian Devotion-The Supper at Bethany"

 Sun, Apr 6, 2025 The 5th Sunday in Lent--- Isaiah43:16-21 ;Philippians 3:4b-14;John 12:1-8; Psalm 126

"True Christian Devotion-The Supper at Bethany"

Is this a story of rejection?  Or is it a story of reception and deep love for another?  It is all of the mentioned.  It is almost a week before the Passover , Palm Sunday as well. The scene is set for Holy Week, the week when Jesus did the Passover meal with His disciples . We know it as Holy Communion.  Good Friday is also that week . In the light of all of this, we are at a supper with Lazarus, Mary, Martha and the ever unfaithful Judas.

Mary is at the heart of this event.  Remember Jesus had just raised Lazarus from the dead in John 11.  Here she annoints the feet of Jesus and prepares him for burial vs. 7 " for the day of my burying". In Luke 10:38-42 she sat at His feet.  

1. What does it mean to have true Christian devotion?  I would say it starts with an understanding of who Jesus is.  He is more than a man, although He was a man, but He is God the Son.  In Him is life as John says in His Gospel, and His life is the light of men.

"When I Pause the Longest

In the biography of Leonardo da Vinci, Antonio Vallenten tells of a time when the great artist was at work in Milan on his famous painting of the Last Supper. Da Vinci spent many hours meditating in the chapel of the monastery where he was working. The monks resented these "idle periods" and accused the artist of wasting time. But da Vinci defended these periods of reflection by saying, "When I pause the longest, I make the most telling strokes with my brush." sermons@sermons.com

Robert A. Beringer, Turning Points, CSS Publishing Company

How does that work for us?  Do we pause to reflect on the Gospels, and the telling of the magnificent acts and words of Jesus so that they may pentrate our hearts and change our actions?

The faster we move the slower we go may be better a better way to say it.  Sometimes we have to act quickly as in cleaning the water up we have spilled.  But if something or someone is worth reflecting on, then it matters. Someone said that to me the other day.  They said their life was moving so fast, that they never took time to hear God's call.

It may be taking time to see the creation of God in the bird feeder and in the spring flowers?  It is His creation.  We are His creatures and can see  so much in the creation ,His power and His glory as it says in Romans 1: 20.

2.  Martha was an example of a servant, but Mary was an example of a serving servant.  Both served.  Mary served at the feet of Jesus, and even though the perfume, or ointment was worth a year's of work, it was for Him.

What is His body and His suffering worth to us?  As we approach Holy week that is something to think about.  She annointed His body with the beauty of the smell of God's love.

Whom do we love?  Yes God of course, but do we let things get in the way of that love?

"Anointed should be our Anointed. Has God poured on him the oil of gladness above his fellows, let us pour on him the ointment of our best affections."  Matthew Henry

3. Judas let things get in the way---mostly he thought only of himself.  At the same time as he was collecting the offerings , he was taking for himself.  We are going to have opposition in this life to doing things for God.  What are we letting get in the way?

" The gift was no purposeless waste.  It was in reality an embalming of his body for burial."  Charles Erdman

As I was outside looking at the flowers coming up, the tulips had a ring of poison ivy around it. I pulled out the poison ivy very carefully with gloves.  Evil is present in our lives and in our families.  We do well to root it out with care.

Vs. 9 talks about the people coming to see Lazarus as well as Jesus. Because of that " the chief priests took counsel that they might put Lazarus also to death."  Vs 11 sums it up for us all, " Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed in Jesus."

Erdman asks, "Is it strange that witnesses for Christ are hated by His enemies today?"  

Conclusion- As I thought about this account of the spikenard and the perfume that filled the house, it hit me that the body of Jesus was annointed.  This story is so human, and it makes Jesus as a man so real to us.  His body is annointed.  We too should be annointed to share His life, His words and His love with others that they may see it, and smell it too just as that house in Bethany smelled so lovely with the perfume that was at the feet of Jesus.