Extravagance

Isaiah 43:16-21
Philippians 3:4b-14
John 12:1-8


The Rev. Suzanne Rudiselle

March 25, 2007

With apologies to “Dragnet”

My name is Sergeant Friday, Jane Friday. I’m here to get the facts. Just the facts, ma’am! It’s about the nard incident - yes, that’s right the very expensive perfume - yes, the costly perfume poured all over Jesus’ feet. You want to tell me about it?

You say Jesus was a friend of the family, and the host, a man named Lazarus was dead. But I thought he was at the dinner. Oh, he was dead but this Jesus raised him to life. Interesting! A little unusual, if I do say so.

OK so they were having dinner in Bethany - why there? Because there was a death threat for both Lazarus and Jesus? Why was that? You think the authorities were jealous of Jesus’ popularity - or was it his power to bring the dead to life? You’re not sure - maybe both. Go on, please. Tell me about the nard.

Yes, I know it is expensive - costs more than I make in a year - and this woman - her name was ? Oh yes, this Mary poured a whole big bottle of it on his feet. They must have been smelly feet! Sorry! You were saying. Yes, ma’am, I’m sure it filled the whole house. That’s a strong perfume. Well I’m sure if the brother was dead there would have been a strong odor too. You don’t think that was the reason. What do you think?

She loved him. Yes, well, that’s fine. Why didn’t she bake him a pie? Oh, her sister did that - and served a great meal too. Was there something going on between the sisters? No, you think they all loved each other. OK some families are just nice people. Yes ma’am, I’m sure they are very nice!

Can we get back to the nard? Why would Mary pour this expensive perfume on Jesus? -To anoint him for burial . Hmm… Wait a minute, I thought it was Lazarus who died and is alive. It is. But why did she think…? how did she know that there was going to be another death and burial? She just did? Is there anything else you want to tell me? I’m going to need your testimony if Jesus turns up, you know - not alive.

By the way, how did Jesus react to this? Wasn’t he annoyed - or embarrassed? Who? A disciple named Judas was upset. Tell me about him. You don’t like him very much. I can tell by the way you wrinkle up your nose. A detective can spot these things. You think he might have been taking money so he was mad because she had spent money that could have gone to the common pot. Why would he care? Oh ho, he was the treasurer. I’ll keep an eye out for him.

Back to Jesus please. He defended Mary. Did she do anything wrong and was she asking for forgiveness? I’ve heard that a woman wept on his feet, and I’ve heard that a woman anointed his head, but this is a little peculiar. No, you don’t think so! You say it was just a demonstration of respect and love. That’s your story and you’re sticking to it.

Well this Jesus must be some kind of guy. You say he loves everyone and forgives people - that he would do anything to help. He heals the sick -- without an appointment? He teaches and his words are powerful. He wants people to know about God - and obey God’s commandments. Yes, ma’am, I’ve heard of them. There are eight or nine of them aren’t there? Ten! I guess I missed a few.

You what? You think he’d even wash people’s feet himself. That’s a slave’s work! He upset the social system if he did things like that. That could get him into real trouble. Yes, I guess having a price on your head is real trouble. But you don’t think he is afraid. Hmm, Strange.

This whole thing is strange. A whole lot of costly perfume is wasted. - OK, not wasted -given in love. A man who is hunted is eating dinner with a family whose brother was dead but is alive. His disciple may be a thief. What else could happen?

I don’t know either, ma’am. Thanks for your time. I’ll get to the bottom of it.
* * *
A story of Extravagance:

This year we have witnessed some of the most extravagant giving ever. Warren Buffett, the 2nd wealthiest man after Bill Gates, gave most of his wealth, some 30 billion dollars to the Gates Foundation. Bill and Melinda Gates have given billions to educate kids in Washington, D.C. and around this country, and to bring health care to impoverished people in this nation and in Africa. Bono, the Irish rocker and front man for U-2, who founded DATA to bring relief in Dept, AIDS, and Trade to Africa has raised millions more for relief efforts and bullied or shamed the G-8 into forgiving 40 billion dollars in debt of impoverished nations. Oprah has spent millions to build state of the art school for girls in Kenya, not to mention giving away a whole lot of Pontiacs! Extravagant giving!

Hundreds of private citizens took their vacations and went to work helping to restore the homes and lives of people still affected by Katrina. Tom Fox, part of the Christian Peacemaker Team, along with Harmeet Singh Sooden, Norman Kember and James Loney, left what he was doing and gave himself to full time peacemaking efforts in Iraq, at the cost of his life. Extravagant living!

In ways perhaps smaller, but no less important many of us try to give our money and time to build and rebuild homes and support programs that will benefit others.

Why is this so? Why, when the Madison Avenue moguls entice us with more and more goods, and more and more ways to spend our money, do we even think about helping others or giving ourselves and our resources away? Is there something innate in wanting to give and to help? Is it because we are so blessed and know it, or because we are so loved and know it, that we can be generous? I hope so!

For some of us there is the memory of a past filled with challenge and hardship, which by the grace of God we have survived. Looking back, past the anxiety and feeling of hopelessness, we see God’s movement in our lives. And seeing that we understand that what we have and who we are, are gifts of grace - extravagant grace from and extravagantly loving God.

Surely Mary knew that her extraordinary gift of costly perfume was small in comparison to the gift of her brother’s life, her life of discipleship, and of the love of God in Jesus. Surely the Israelites saw God’s faithfulness, God’s “hesed”, God’s steadfast love, in the promise of return from exile, with water in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. With memories of the exodus and the hardship of the wilderness time, surely the promise of God’s new way was evidence of the extravagant love that called them yet again to be God’s people. Surely Paul, the persecutor of the church, understood the extravagant forgiveness and mercy of Christ, as he counted his pedigree papers, his religious authority, his standing in society all rubbish.

What about us? Do we dare pour out our most precious gifts to honor Christ? Would we risk embarrassment or hostility by showing our love of Christ publicly? Would we humble ourselves to wash another’s feet or serve the least of people? Can we acknowledge that some of our actions are the very same kind of things that led to Jesus’ death?

Can we trust that whatever came before is preliminary to what God is about to do in and through us now? Do we dare set out on a course that might be filled with hazards, trusting in a promise of God’s presence? Do we believe that God can do a new thing in our lives, and with our limitations? Will we offer our praise to God in humility and obedience.?

Are we willing to give up our status and prestige, discount our degrees and offices, as secondary to our true calling to be disciples? Are we disciplined and fearless in the face of challenge, trusting that God will see us through whatever difficulties come? James Loney, one of the Iraq hostages wrote, “I didn’t know what I might be asked to give. I feared that I was too weak, too selfish to offer it.” I’m afraid that I too might give way to fear under such pressure.

But this I know: Christ came not to judge but to save. Christ is love incarnate. Christ is the best evidence that God is Extravagant beyond our wildest dreams. God can do and is doing all kinds of things in this world and God needs people just like us to tell this story, to sing praise, to act out our faith. Actually, God needs us to live and give in Christ-like manor - extravagantly!