5 LENT - C - 16 JOHN 12: 1-8
“Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany…”
Our Lenten journey has brought us very near to the Holy City to the small
village of Bethany, a mere two miles southeast of Jerusalem on the slopes of
the Mount of Olives. Jesus and his disciples have been invited to a dinner
party in the home of his dear friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus whom he has
recently raised from the dead.
As usual, Martha is serving while Lazarus sits at
table with Jesus and the disciples. Mary is again sitting at Jesus’ feet not
merely listening as she did on his prior visit to their home, but instead she
is engaged in an act of love. She anoints Jesus’ feet with an expensive
ointment and wipes them with her hair.
The disciples are dumb struck. No self respecting
Jewish woman would ever let her hair down in public, must less in the company
of so many men.
Judas alone speaks, but not to condemn Mary for
breaking social protocol, but to object to the use of such expensive ointment
that could have been sold and the money given to the poor.
Does Mary know something that the disciples do not?
No, for Jesus has told his disciples on three separate occasions that he will
die in Jerusalem. If anything, Mary is anticipating not only his death, but a
hasty burial without the proper preparation. Thus her act of love towards Jesus
is done without regard to what the others in the room may think of her or her
actions.
Jesus quickly stifles Judas’ objection and in his
response to him implies that Mary should keep the rest of the ointment for that
very day; a day now looming in the near distance. The preparation to come is
more important than their going out to sell what remains of the ointment as
Judas suggests.
If his disciples have failed to comprehend his
earlier warnings about his impending tragedy, Mary’s actions and Jesus’ words
make it clear. They are literally standing in the shadow of the cross. His
destiny awaits him.
To follow Jesus implies a proper motivation - to
want to be what God created us to be - to worship, love and obey Him above all
else. Mary, Martha, and Lazarus could not love Him any more. They have
witnessed his power of resurrection; Lazarus is the living proof. They know in
their heart of hearts that He is Messiah, the Promised One of God, and they
would follow him anywhere.
The disciples have now been with Him for three
years. They have witnessed his many miracles and healings, listened to his
teachings concerning God and His kingdom. They themselves have been given
authority to heal, preach and teach and have been amazed at the people’s
response. Yet they seem oblivious to his warnings of his impending death, and
at times their faith is intermittent. What motivates them to continue to follow
Jesus if not their love for Him?
Judas’ objection to Mary’s use of an expensive
ointment that could have been sold and the proceeds given to the poor seems
admirable, but St. John is quick to point out that Judas is a thief. They all
know it. His motivation is greed. Why would Jesus put him in charge of the
money box knowing what is in his heart? That Jesus put him in charge of the
alms shows that by every means He attempted to save him. Jesus fulfills Judas’
lust for money.
He allowed Judas to exercise Apostolic authority
like the rest. Jesus will wash Judas’ feet along with the others and will allow
him to sit at table in the upper room to partake of the Mystical Supper of His
Body and Blood, because He loves him no less than the others. He will die for
his sins as well as the sins of the world whether Judas realizes it or not.
Sadly greed motivated Judas more than love. Judas’
greed drove him to guilt. It was his guilt that lead to his death by his own
hands. I have never thought that Judas was unrepentant, but that he was unable
to forgive himself for what he had done in betraying the Lord of Life, and by
being unable to forgive himself, he was incapable of knowing and receiving God’s
forgiveness.
What motivates us to follow Jesus? To continue the
journey? Perhaps if we take time to look closely at each of the characters in
today’s gospel we can see which one best reflects our relationship to Christ
and in doing so discover the motivation behind our continuing to follow him.
Are we most like Martha always busying ourselves to
the point that we are oblivious to what’s going on around us? Or at least
pretending that we do not notice. Perhaps we are more like Lazarus, having been
the recipient of a miracle, a second chance at life, an undeserved blessing and
yet we choose to remain seated on the sidelines not wishing to get involved
with the life or the mission of the church, being more than willing to have
someone else do what needs to be done.
Then there is Judas who objects and complains who
has his own opinion of what should be done and the way it should be done and
does not hesitate to say so. Can we see ourselves reflected in him? Do we
complain and object to what the Church is doing? What about Mary who simply
loves to be in Jesus’ presence and makes herself present to him taking in His
every word and being willing to follow him and obey Him as her Lord. Does she
not represent what we should all be in terms of our relationship to Christ?
Finally there
are the disciples who yet follow him, even with their doubts and wavering
faith. Imperfect as they are, he chose them, including Judas, and they followed
him not knowing where their “yes” to him would lead or how it would all end.
Can we see ourselves as true disciples giving our “yes” to Jesus and following
wherever He leads? Putting our whole trust in Him?
The Church is made up of Mary and Martha, Lazarus
and Judas, and there is something of each of them in each of us. Imperfect as
we are, like Judas, God gives each of us every opportunity to receive His
saving grace and to become what we were created to be: lovers of God who
manifest our love for Him through worship and obedience, and who are motivated
by His Love “to press on,” as St. Paul says, “toward the goal for the prize of
the upward call of God in Christ Jesus, the completion of our salvation, the
resurrection to eternal life. Amen+
No comments:
Post a Comment