Plotting, anointing, and betrayal, that’s
how Mark 14 opens. It is becoming
obvious, even if this is your first reading of Mark’s gospel, that events are
about to come to a head. There is a
question that lies behind the plot of these eleven verses though. The plotting, the anointing, and the betrayal
all took place at a point in history- a very significant one at that- and
because of their part in that narrative, the deeds we read of here have won a type
of immortality that even Jesus acknowledges (“And
truly, I say to you, wherever the
gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her”). However, beyond their importance
historically, each of these figures also serves an important role as an example
of how we can honor, or dishonor, Jesus Christ.
Let’s start with the
bad news. Sometimes we dishonor
Jesus. Usually when that happens, it
happens discreetly. Few among us are
bold enough to openly refute Jesus claims.
Even those who do usually try to soften the blow with acclaim for his
teaching, despite their reservations about his identity as the Son of God. Before we are too harsh in our judgment of
the chief priests and scribes, we should ask ourselves if there haven’t been
times in our life where we sought to throw off the seemingly burdensome yoke of
Jesus lordship, albeit as quietly as possible, because we found it
inconvenient. Maybe you don’t find
yourself in the “discreetly rejecting Jesus” category, but rather identify with
the “outward worship, inward betrayal” model of Judas. None of us would like to think we have
anything in common with Judas, the arch-villain or arch-villains. And yet, ask yourself again, are there times
when the content of your heart fails to match the outward displays of worship
others see. The world may see raised
hands, or the look of one quietly reflecting on the goodness of God, all the
while the inner self contains a boiling cauldron of fear, doubt, disobedience,
or hate. Maybe neither of these
describes you, and that’s good. Even so,
at some point we all of us fall into the third trap, the trap of
self-aggrandizement. In just a short
while when Jesus announces his impending betrayal to his
disciples around the table, they show more concern for exonerating themselves
than what this means for Jesus. How many
of us are more concerned with looking or acting righteous, than how that
righteousness can serve Christ?
There are times, hopefully lots of
times, when we honor Jesus. One way we can
honor him is through our actions. Consider
this woman, who anoints Jesus with costly nard, or perfume. She could have used the money for herself, or
used the perfume on herself, but instead she offers them as gifts to the
Messiah. The original Greek of verse 8, “she
has done what she could…” deliberately mirrors the Greek of Mark 12:44, where
Jesus comments on the largesse of the widow who gave the two coins. Like that widow, the woman who anoints Jesus
remains nameless to us, but nonetheless she is remembered because of her
actions. How much time do we spend
trying to ensure that our names are remembered, when we could be acting in ways that will make
a lasting impact and be remembered, even if our name is not.
A few years back I was on a mission trip
to New Orleans. We were putting on a VBS
for a church in a very impoverished neighborhood. A few days into it, one of the other chaperones
noticed that this one little boy kept showing up in the same clothes. Deeply moved by the plight of this boy, this
woman went to Old Navy that day and spent a substantial amount of money buying
the kid several new outfits to wear.
Does that child remember the name of the woman who bought him the
clothes a few years ago? Probably not.
But somewhere in the recesses of his mind is a tangible reminder, a
memory that reflects the love of Christ.
Christ wasn’t discreetly rejected by my friend that day, nor was he
outwardly worshipped while being inwardly betrayed. Christ was honored. He wasn’t honored in words or in a song, but
with actions that embody his love. How
can you honor Christ today? In a thousand
different ways; it’s easier, and yet far more challenging than you ever
imagined.
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