WITNESS TO JESUS: Mary, Sister of Martha and Lazarus John 12:1-11
Grace, mercy, and peace to you, from God our Father, and our Lord, Jesus Christ, whom we glorify.
Our Lenten series this year is Witnesses to Christ.
Tonight’s message is from John 12:1-11. We’ll see the witness of Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, as she pours perfume on Jesus’ feet, as an act of devotion.
In His Gospel, John shares seven signs or miracles done by Jesus, all leading up to His Passion and Resurrection.
First is changing water into wine at the wedding in Cana, in John, chapter 2.
Second is the healing the centurion’s son in chapter 4.
Third is the healing of the paralyzed man at Bethesda in chapter 5.
Fourth is the feeding of the five thousand in Galilee, told in chapter 6.
Fifth is when Jesus came to the disciples on the Sea of Galilee, walking on the water, also in chapter 6.
Sixth is the healing of the man who was born blind, in John 9.
And seventh, the miracle that was so amazing to all, and so threatening to Jesus’ enemies that it mobilized them to set aside their differences, and work together to have Him killed, the raising Lazarus from his tomb in chapter 11.
Jesus, who is the Word made flesh, has a powerful word that binds all seven miracles together.
For the first miracle, changing water into wine, “His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever He tells you’ ” Jesus told the servants what to do; they did it, and through His word, by His command, the water became fine wine.
For the miracle of healing the centurion’s son, John says, “The man believed the word that Jesus spoke.” Jesus told him his son would live, and at that very moment, the boy was healed.
To heal the paralyzed man, “Jesus said to him, ‘Get up, take up your bed, and walk’”. And he got up and walked.
For the feeding of the 5000, “Jesus then took the loaves, and gave thanks”. And through His word of thanksgiving, there was more than enough to feed everyone.
When walking on the water, “He said to [His disciples], ‘It is I; do not be afraid’”. And He calmed them, and the storm.
To the man born blind Jesus said, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam”. He believed Jesus and went and did it, and suddenly he could see.
And in His last great miracle before his death and resurrection, “[Jesus] cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out.’ ”. Lazarus stood up and walked out of his tomb.
Now in John chapter 12, we see how two people respond to the words of Jesus —Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, and Judas, the son of Iscariot. Their responses were different, because their hearts toward Jesus were different.
Mary was grateful beyond words. Her dear friend and Lord had done the impossible, raising her brother from death.
Looking for some way to express her gratitude, Mary did something lavish.
For raising Lazarus, a banquet was held in Jesus’ honor.
Lazarus was one the people at the banquet table. Martha, being Martha, served the food. And Mary, being Mary, didn’t.
Remember she’s the one who earlier in Jesus’ ministry, had sat at His feet and listened while Martha did all the work of preparing and serving the food.
Mary served Jesus in a different way.
John, who was there, saw it happen. He writes, Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table.
3 Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.
7 Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. 8 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.
Jesus, who so often helped the poor and advocated for them, surprised them all with His response.
Mary was honoring Jesus more than she even knew; her anointing his feet with oil, was a sign of his burial soon to come.
It was a lavish, extravagant gift that Mary gave.
To some it seemed wasteful, to pour that expensive oil on Jesus’ feet, which would just soon become covered in dirt again. But to Jesus, it was a beautiful act of love.
Mary gave Jesus far more than an expensive gift, she gave him her heart and her soul.
In this act of love, Mary cut through all the clutter, and she focused her heart and her resources, on what mattered most to her: her Savior.
If we cut through all the clutter of our lives, what do we see? That’s the million dollar question.
By the power of the Holy Spirit, we see something worth far more than a million dollars, or any amount of money, or any earthly gain.
No amount of money can bring us what faith can bring us. Not generic faith, faith directed at the Great Giver, the One who gave us His all on the cross.
The gift Mary gave Jesus, though seemingly extravagant to some who witnessed it, was really quite small as compared to what had been given to her.
Jesus gave Mary her brother back. Lazarus had been dead; Jesus gave him back to Mary and Martha, alive. And they lived their full life together as a family.
Jesus gave Mary grace and knowledge to live every day by, as He gives to us.
In Luke 10, Mary sat at the feet of Jesus and listened and learned. And Jesus said it would not be taken away from her.
And Jesus gave Mary, and her sister, Martha, and her brother, Lazarus, the gift that can’t be bought: life without end.
Just before Jesus raised Lazarus, he told Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.”.
In contrast to Mary’s gift, was the objection of Judas. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”
But that wasn’t his real objection. John says, 6 [Judas] said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; and having charge of the moneybag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.
There was corruption even among Jesus’ disciples; and as it turned out, that greed and corruption would cost Jesus His life.
But it didn’t block God’s plan to redeem the world.
Jesus knew what Judas was doing, that his greed had led him to steal from the money for the poor, and that it would lead Judas to betray Him for 30 pieces of silver.
But Jesus would use his betrayal to go to the cross for us.
So He stood up for Mary and spoke out on her behalf: 7 [He] said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. 8 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.
In Judas we see greed; in Mary we see generosity.
For Judas it was about what he could have and get; for Mary it wasn’t about what she could have or get, but about what she could give.
Far more so, for Jesus it was about what He could give, every sacrifice He could make for us, even His life.
And that’s the thing for us to want and to have, the Lord and His Gospel in our lives and our hearts.
Then like Mary, we cut through the clutter, and we give, generously.
We give because, in Jesus, we have what truly matters.
And we give, when like Jesus, we care deeply.
May Christ, who has given us so much, be our inspiration to give and to serve generously, as Mary did.
And as we do, the peace of God that passes understanding, will guard our hearts and minds, in Christ Jesus, who gave us His all. Amen.