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 A collective reflection on God’s grace and our chances for renewal Saturday, March 15, 2025 |
Let’s be jar breakers Mark 14:1-9 Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, they say. There’s a strange incident that shows up in all four of the gospels, which tells us that it’s of extreme importance to understanding who Jesus was and what he was about. Even though the gospels include many of the same things in their presentation of Jesus, there aren’t many things that show up in all four of the gospels. It’s the Bible’s way of saying to us, “Listen up.” While in Bethany (a small village outside of Jerusalem), Jesus is enjoying the Passover festival at a dinner party with some friends. A woman interrupts the party with an alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume that she pours on his head. It sounds just as strange today as it looked the evening it happened. The disciples in their ongoing adventures-in-missing-the-point rebuked the woman harshly. The Greek word for their reaction is that they “snorted” at the woman like an angry horse. The tension in the room is exploding. The disciples are confused and angry. But the woman? She’s crushed. What was meant to be a gift and an act of love is being snorted and laughed at. “What a waste!” the important people in the room shout. But then, the most important one in the room speaks up. “Leave her alone, for she has done a beautiful thing.” If I’m a disciple, I’m pretty confused. “But Jesus, you told us to care for the poor. You told people to sell all they own and give it to those who need it. You should rebuke her! Not us! How can you call this woman’s reckless, irresponsible, senseless act…beautiful???” Exactly. It was reckless. As important as it is to care for the poor (and it indeed is essential), this woman knew that there was something even more critical. Her act was beautiful because it demonstrated the earnest and extravagant worship Jesus deserved. It’s the kind of earnest and extravagant worship he wants from all of us. The woman’s act wasn’t just earnest or extravagant, it was enlightened. This woman knew what was ahead for Jesus as he neared Jerusalem. She was coming with her perfume to meet a need by preparing Jesus for his death and burial. Typically this happens after someone dies, but she did it on this unique Passover evening. Think about the comparison. The woman broke the jar. Jesus broke his body. The woman poured out her perfume. Jesus poured out his blood. The woman did this for her savior. Jesus died to save her. When we worship and serve and devote ourselves entirely to Jesus, we can’t help but be a reflection of his sacrificial love for us. When we give everything in worship of Jesus, the world might snort at it. But Jesus calls it beautiful. In fact, the woman’s act was so much of a reflection that it’s still being talked about today, just as Jesus said it would be. This week, let’s be jarbreakers. Let’s bring our best worship to Jesus, knowing he calls it beautiful. Let’s give ourselves and all we have in worship of the beautiful savior who goes to the cross on our behalf. By Brad Herndon Lent beckons us, a time for looking inward, a spiritual refresh. We’re asked to walk into the ‘desert’ with Jesus. It sounds empty, a wasteland, but it’s often in desert spaces that we can encounter God most clearly. Like Jesus’ forty days alone, we’re invited to shed the clutter of our lives and face what’s deep inside. This week’s reflections will delve into what the desert means in scripture and spiritual stories, how this time of seeming nothingness can actually be full of God’s giving, testing, and close connection. We’ll ponder how the desert, where things are scarce, shows us how much God really provides, and how being alone can make us see his constant presence. We invite you to let the ‘desert’ become a holy place for growing spiritually and encountering God. |
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