John 12:1-8 (NIV) Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3Then Mary took about a pint of 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. 4But 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." 6He 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. 8You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me."
How passionate do we feel about the God we have found in Jesus Christ? Scripture is written of reckless love and devotion to God. This is Abraham leaving the security of his home in Haran to follow the call of God to God only knows where. This is Ruth sensing the call to follow her mother in law to the strange country of Israel instead of staying safe at home with her own people. This is David taking on Goliath. This is Francis of Assisi giving up the luxury of home and taking his place among the poor. This is Martin Luther standing before the might of the papacy and saying, “Here I stand. I can do no other.” And it is the disciples dropping everything to follow a poor carpenter from Nazareth.
Do we live our lives with a certain sense of abandonment into the hands of God? Do we take on impossible tasks, not with thoughts of success but with a burning desire to be faithful in what we do, to answer a sense of call that has come to our life?
Do we follow Jesus Christ in the spirit of abandonment like Mary did, or are we more from the mold of Judas, practical, cautious, careful, calculating, weary so as to not go overboard?
Do we have a certain reserved commitment to Christ? We trust him with part of our life, but not with our money, our family, our future. Here we still want to be in charge and in control. Reserved commitment to Christ leads to betrayal in the way that we live, embarrassed perhaps to be true to our faith, reluctant to be identified as a religious fanatic.
And the reserved commitment to Christ deprives us of knowing the abundance of life that Christ wills for us. Mary lavishes her love and commitment on Jesus because she is aware that Jesus has lavished his love upon her. Jesus has given her back the life of her brother Lazarus. Jesus’ death was an act of reckless love for you and me.
From a sermon preached by Henry Dobbs Pope March 29, 1998
© Rhonda Hinkle Mitchell Broyles
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