May the mumbling commence!
Well, we have finished Leviticus (YEAH!) only to move onto Numbers (OH!). And the first couple of chapters of Numbers did not strike any chords in my spirit this morning. That is the advantage of reading in the Old and New Testaments simultaneously.
After reading about the ornate Tabernacle, it seems appropriate to meditate a little on this passage from Mark chapter fourteen. Read the beginning of Mark chapter fourteen:
It was now two days before the Passover celebration and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The leading priests and the teachers of religious law were still looking for an opportunity to capture Jesus secretly and put him to death. "But not during the Passover," they agreed, "or there will be a riot."
Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had leprosy. During supper, a woman came in with a beautiful jar of expensive perfume. She broke the seal and poured the perfume over his head. Some of those at the table were indignant. "Why was this expensive perfume wasted?" they asked. "She could have sold it for a small fortune and given the money to the poor!" And they scolded her harshly.
But Jesus replied, "Leave her alone. Why berate her for doing such a good thing to me? You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to. But I will not be here with you much longer. She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time. I assure you, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman's deed will be talked about in her memory." (Verses 1-9)
How extravagant this anointing was! That perfume was worth a small fortune… a year’s worth of wages. It is far too easy in Mennonite and Church of the Brethren circles to join the chorus of the people at the table. SELL THAT PERFUME AND GIVE THE MONEY TO THE POOR!
And Jesus agreed, right? Nope. If we side with the people around the table who were berating the woman, we would have gotten the same stern lesson from Jesus.
We will always have the poor among us. Those are hard words to hear. But Jesus does say them. Jesus knew that the disciples would not always have him. It is good to show honor to our Lord and Savior.
Acts of extravagant love for the Lord will be remembered and will point to Jesus for others. We should keep these thoughts in mind when we hear the pros and cons of doing something lavish like the anointing of Jesus in this passage.
We should meditate on this passage when… the idea of stained glass windows comes up. Think about how the imagery will start conversation and allow the Good News to be told.
We should think about this passage when the church is choosing to invest or not invest in an updated sound system or new audio-visual equipment. How will it help the message of Jesus, the Good News, to be known? How will they help us grow in faith in Jesus Christ?
Because if items can help us in these ways, then they are well worth the investment. They are well worth the extravagant expense… when we lay them at the feet of our glorious Lord Jesus.
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
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