Tawa Baptist

Devotion

Scripture: John 12:1-11

Video Links: https://youtu.be/8W_gVTSJsas

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Self-giving acts of devotion
  • Self-serving acts of deceit
  • Lenten devotion
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Who can tell me what was special about last Wednesday? [Wait]

That’s right, it was Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent.

Lent is an old fashioned word which literally means ‘lengthening’, as in the lengthening of days. In the northern hemisphere Lent happens in spring as the days lengthen. It’s the opposite for us in the southern hemisphere. The days shorten during Lent.   

Irrespective of where you live in the world, Lent is the 40 days (not including Sundays) preceding Easter. Lent is not something we find in the Bible. It’s a Christian tradition passed down through the centuries. During Lent Christians remember the events leading up to and including Jesus’ suffering and death.

Remembering Jesus’ suffering isn’t just something we do in our head. Many Christians identify with Jesus in a tangible way by carrying out self-giving acts of devotion. Acts of devotion typically include praying, fasting and giving, in order to draw closer to Jesus.

Today we begin a new sermon series, for Lent, which explores some of the events in the week leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion. Our Bible reading this morning focuses on the gospel of John, chapter 12, verses 1-11.

In this passage we see both beauty and ugliness. From John 12, verse 1, we read…

Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honour. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pintof pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you,but you will not always have me.”

9 Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, 11 for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

As I mentioned earlier, today’s reading reveals some beauty and some ugliness. The beauty is front and centre in the form of self-giving acts of devotion. While the ugliness lurks in the shadows in the form of self-serving acts of deceit. First let us consider the beauty of devotion.   

Self-giving acts of devotion:

The first self-giving act of devotion we notice is Jesus’ act of coming to Jerusalem for the Passover. In the context this was a brave thing to do.

At the end of John 11, after Jesus has raised Lazarus from the dead, we read how the chief priests and Pharisees said that if anyone found Jesus, they should report his whereabouts so they could arrest him. Jesus was essentially an outlaw, wanted by the authorities.

Jesus came to Bethany knowing the end was near for him. Knowing he would soon be giving his life as a ransom for many. Jesus did this as an act of self-giving devotion to God. 

But Jesus isn’t the only one who is brave. When Jesus arrives in Bethany, his friends defy the religious authorities by throwing a party in Jesus’ honour.

Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.

You know, self-giving acts of devotion come in many forms. Martha’s act of self-giving devotion was providing hospitality for Jesus.

You may recall how Martha got a bit upset, in Luke chapter 10, when she was catering for Jesus and his disciples and Mary wasn’t helping. Mary was listening at Jesus’ feet. Jesus defended Mary and gently corrected Martha on that occasion.

From this we may draw the false conclusion that for devotion to be true it must involve sitting in a room by yourself praying and reading the Bible. While that is one very valid form of devotion, so is doing the dishes, when those dishes are washed with a heart full of love for God.

Now in John 12, sometime after the Luke 10 incident, there is no bitterness or resentment from Martha. She serves quietly, without complaint. Her devotion is practical and behind the scenes. Jesus has given Martha her brother back and she is thankful, happy to serve.        

Verse 2 of John 12 sheds some light on another form of devotion. We read that Lazarus reclined at the table with Jesus. In that culture tables were low to the ground and there were no chairs, just cushions. People lay on their side with their head near the table, relaxing while they ate.

Reclining might not sound like much. In fact, it may sound lazy. But, in the context, it paints a picture of the devotion of companionship.

Companionship is a word that literally means to share bread with. But in contemporary English a companion is a friend, someone whose company you enjoy. Someone who spends time with you and removes the sting of loneliness.

So often, when I read the gospels, I’m struck by the loneliness that Jesus must have felt. Yes, he had a pretty amazing communion with God but, at the same time, he was continually misunderstood by the religious leaders, by the crowds and even by his own disciples.

Lazarus offered Jesus the gift of companionship. He was a friend to Jesus. Someone Jesus could hang out with, without being drained.

During certain stages of life, we may find the pressures of family and work force us to be a Martha, always serving. That’s okay but perhaps we also need to listen to that deeper longing in our soul to be a Lazarus. To take time to slow down and recline with Jesus in comfortable conversation or easy silence.   

And so we come to Mary’s self-giving act of devotion. Verse 3 reads…

Then Mary took about a pintof pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

If Martha’s love language is acts of service and Lazarus’ love language is quality time, then Mary’s seems to be gift giving and touch.

Mary’s act of devotion was wholehearted. She was loving Jesus with her whole being, no half measures. She used the full pint of nard on Jesus, total commitment.

Mary’s act of devotion was extravagant. The perfume cost a year’s wages, for a labourer, but love doesn’t count the cost. It is the instinct of love to give and keep giving.  

There is a line in the hymn, ‘When I survey the wondrous cross’, where we sing: Were the whole realm of nature mine, it would be an offering far too small. Mary gives Jesus the most precious thing she owns and yet it still doesn’t feel like enough.

Mary’s act of devotion was courageous. Respectable Jewish women in the first century did not let down their hair in public. It was considered inappropriate. But Mary isn’t concerned with what other people think. Her eyes are only on Jesus.

Mary’s act of devotion was tender. Not only does Mary let down her hair, she even uses her hair to wipe Jesus’ feet. This means touching him in a good way, in a kind and gentle way. What a contrast to the abuse Jesus’ body would suffer just a few days later. Mary gave Jesus the gift of tenderness going into the hardest week of his life.

Mary’s act of devotion was humble, not presumptuous. She anointed Jesus’ feet and in that culture touching feet was a bit like cleaning toilets. This shows the value Mary placed on Jesus. Even his feet (the lowest part of Jesus’ body) deserved the best.

I am reminded of Ruth uncovering Boaz’ feet by the threshing floor. Ruth is known for her loyalty. Is Mary pledging her loyal love to Jesus here?

Mary’s act of devotion was timely. Jesus was soon going to die. On some level, Mary senses that she only has a small window of opportunity to do something special for Jesus. She sees the Kairos moment and gives expression to her love while she can.

If the last few years have taught us anything it is that none of us knows what tomorrow holds. Don’t leave the important stuff undone. Express your love, in a right way, before it is too late. Love, when it is not expressed well (or not expressed at all), turns to pain, a kind of smoldering coal in your chest. 

Mary’s act of devotion blessed everyone. The whole house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. This is instructive for us. Acts of self-giving devotion bless everyone in the house. The closer we are to Jesus, the more we love him, the more everyone around us benefits.  

Mary’s act of devotion was symbolic, it was meaningful.  She was anointing Jesus’ body for burial ahead of time. Whether Mary was aware of this fact or not, we don’t know. What we can say is that Mary’s costly act of self-giving devotion points to Jesus’ costly sacrifice on the cross. 

Mary’s act of pouring expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet is a parable for God pouring his love and grace on the best and worst of humanity.

The beauty of Martha, Lazarus and Mary’s self-giving acts of devotion for Jesus, paint a picture of what John means by eternal life. They give us a glimpse of intimacy with God, the kind of intimacy that can be ours in and through Jesus.

Self-serving acts of deceit:

But, as Bono says, ‘darkness gathers around the light’. Lurking in the shadows are some self-serving acts of deceit.

In verses 4 – 6 we read…

4 But one of Jesus’ disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

Judas’ greed and deceit stand in stark contrast to Mary’s authentic generosity and genuine love.

A point of application for us. When you are criticized for doing something good (for acting with self-giving love), then try to remember the criticism is not about you. It might be directed at you but really the criticism reveals more about the one doing the criticizing than it does about you.

Likewise, if you find yourself criticizing someone else unfairly, then take a moment to reflect. The criticism you are making is probably coming from your own shadow.  Your shadow is that part of yourself that you cannot see.

Judas’ criticism is coming from his shadow. Love of money has blinded him. Judas cannot see the goodness in Mary’s act of devotion, nor the worthiness of Jesus in receiving such an outpouring of love. Judas isn’t just criticizing Mary; he is devaluing Jesus as well. Judas’ words reveal something pretty ugly.

Notice though Jesus’ self-giving act of devotion for Judas. Jesus, the prophet who sees into people’s hearts, knows that Judas is a thief and yet he does not expose Judas to shame.

But he does defend Mary’s actions. In verse 7 Jesus says…

7 “Leave her alone. It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial…”

Jesus is a master at saying a lot with few words. Firstly, Jesus protects Mary. More than that, Jesus interprets Mary’s self-giving act of devotion through the lens of his pending death. In doing this, Jesus draws out the eternal significance in what Mary has done.

Then Jesus goes on to say in verse 8…

8 You will always have the poor among you,but you will not always have me.”

Jesus is quoting from Deuteronomy 15, where Moses says there will always be poor people in the land and you should help them whenever you can.

At the same time, in a very private and gentle way, Jesus is calling Judas out on his hypocrisy. Jesus is effectively saying to Judas that if he really cared about the poor he wouldn’t be stealing from the common purse.

But Jesus is also intimating that he will be killed soon. The words, you will not always have me, validate the timing of Mary’s act of devotion, for Jesus is a wanted man.

The chief priests’ self-serving act of deceit makes Judas look like an amateur. Not only were the chief priests plotting to kill Jesus, they also wanted to kill Lazarus whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Killing Lazarus would be like destroying the evidence.

Perhaps they figured, even after we kill Jesus people will still remember him. But if we get rid of Lazarus, then we can erase people’s memory of what Jesus did and rewrite history to suit ourselves.

But the chief priests’ self-serving act of deceit failed. The memory of Jesus’ self-giving love, which conquers fear and death, has not been erased in 2,000 years.

Lenten Devotion:

We started this message talking about how people draw close to Jesus during Lent through prayer, fasting and giving. The thing is, prayer, fasting and giving don’t have any power in themselves to bring you close to Jesus. The chief priests prayed and fasted and gave to the poor and yet they couldn’t have been further from Jesus. 

It is the spirit in which you pray, fast and give that creates the connection. Prayer, fasting and giving are merely tools of devotion. You can use the tools to build a wall or you can use them to dig a well.

You can use the tools to guard against your own insecurity (like the religious leaders did) or you can use them to give yourself to God and his purpose in the world (like Mary, Martha & Lazarus did).

If, for example, you choose to give up chocolate or coffee for Lent, then you do well to ask yourself, why? Am I doing this with mixed motives; perhaps to lose weight or appease my own guilt? Or, does my fasting serve a more noble purpose; like standing in solidarity with the poor and saying, ‘I love you Jesus’.

If not drinking coffee makes you grumpy with the people you live with, then you are better not to give it up. But if you can keep your temper and donate the money you save to a worthy cause, then you are using the tools of fasting and giving to dig a well from which others can drink.

And, if the loss of comfort you feel in fasting puts you in touch with Jesus’ experience in some small way, then your act of devotion has strengthened your connection with Christ.

Another practical thing you can do for Lent is reducing your TV watching. Then the question becomes, what will I do with my spare time? If you give the time to spiritual reading, then you dig a well to refresh your own soul, making yourself better equipped to refresh others.

Or you could volunteer some of your free time to help someone in need or spend a few hours a week picking up rubbish in your neighbourhood. In this way, you are loving your neighbours and identifying with Jesus who gave himself to help us and clean up our mess.

Conclusion:      

Whatever you choose to do for lent, you need be honest with yourself. Self-serving acts of deceit will pass away but self-giving acts of devotion, done in the name of Jesus, will shine forever.

In 1st Corinthians 15, the apostle Paul writes, …stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.

Or said another way, be sure that nothing you do for Jesus is ever lost or wasted. Whatever you do for Christ, in love and honesty, no matter how large or small, becomes indestructible, eternal.

You might lose your job, your business, your car, your home, your money, your hair, your youth, your beauty, your health, your memory and many other things beside. But every act of self-giving love and devotion you carry out in the name of Jesus is preserved forever in the kingdom of heaven, where flood and earthquake, rust and moth, inflation and thieves cannot rob or destroy.

O that we could keep that eternal perspective in mind and not be overwhelmed by the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune that we suffer in this world.  God is love and love is everlasting.

One question remains: How do you express your love for Jesus?

May the love of God fill you, the peace of Christ keep you, and the companionship of the Holy Spirit give you courage. Amen.  

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • What do you plan to do during Lent to draw close to Jesus? What acts of devotion have you found helpful in the past? What hasn’t worked so well for you?
  • Discuss / reflect on the various forms of self-giving devotion performed by Jesus, Martha, Lazarus and Mary in Luke 12:1-11. Which of these are you most naturally drawn to?
  • How might we deal with unfair criticism? How might we know when other people’s criticism of us is really more about them than it is about us?
  • Why did the religious leaders want to kill Jesus? Why did they want to kill Lazarus?
  • How much of your time and energy do you invest in self-giving acts of devotion for Christ? 
  • How do you express your love for Jesus?