“You always have the poor with you…” (John 12: 8a)
So I’m reading again the Gospel lesson in
the Revised Common Lectionary appointed for Lent 5, Year C (John 12:1-8). It’s that
story of Mary of Bethany anointing Jesus’ feet with some really expensive perfume and wiping his feet with her hair. You
know the one I mean? I’m reading it and I’m thinking, “Really, Homegirl, isn’t
that a bit excessive?” The Bible
commentaries tell us that a denarius was the average daily wage for a working
man in Jesus’ day. If you consider that in today’s terms, a 300 denarii pound of
nard would run you about $17,400.00[i]. Add to this the fact that
Mary wipes the ointment on Jesus’ feet with her hair!
I mean, come ON..! That action alone is kind of sexy and not at all seemly in the
context of her time and culture. It does, however, demonstrate how totally
devoted she was to Jesus. I guess the gratitude she had for getting her brother
Lazarus back from the grave was overwhelming.
But is it possible that we can overdo
devotion? A salesman in one of the church good stores once asked me if anything
were too good for the house of the Lord. I replied that I didn’t think so, but
many things were too expensive for Faith Lutheran of Far Northeast
Philadelphia. Some years ago I bought a set of chasubles online. I chose the
least expensive set of plain, polyester vestments I could buy—not because I’m
cheap (although I kind of am), but
because anything more elaborate would look pretentiously out of place in my
cinder block, working-class church.
I recently showed my Confirmation class
the 2003 MGM movie Luther. If you’ve
seen it, you’ll recall the scenes in which the radical reformers riot and begin
to smash stained glass church windows and pull down devotional statues. This
was a reaction against the wealth of a church which was an oppressive force in
their lives. I believe that the absence of the Christ figure on crosses in
Protestant churches is not, as I was always told, an emphasis on the resurrected
Jesus. Rather, the simplicity of the empty cross was the peasants’ reaction to
the extravagant wealth of the Roman church which paid a fortune to adorn their houses
of worship with images of Christ crucified at the expense of charity to the
poor.
One can almost see Judas’ point when he
criticizes Mary for her effusive display of devotion to Jesus. Surely, better
use could’ve been made of her money than to pour it on her rabbi’s feet.
So what does Jesus have to say about this?
He defends Mary. It seems she’s only pouring out a little nard. She’s keeping
the rest of it (see verse 7) for Jesus’ burial. If you think about it, it’s one
thing to give someone a really nice funeral. It’s far better to show your love
for them while they’re still with you.[ii]
But maybe Jesus is aware of Judas’ ulterior
motives. Otherwise, why would our evangelist mention them (v. 6)? Judas, like
hypocrites before and since, has a truly slick talent for disguising his own
greed with virtue. A large donation to the common purse meant a hefty
commission for the treasurer.
Ain’t that always the way?
Someone says, “Don’t burden the poor with
a healthcare tax or a mandate to purchase costly insurance.” Translation: “Let
poor people get sick and die or be overwhelmed with debt because healthcare is
unaffordable and insurance companies don’t want to cut their profits.”
Or, someone says, “Don’t strangle business
with cumbersome regulations.” Translation: “Let companies pay starvation wages,
deny benefits, and pollute the earth all they want so they can make more money.”
And of course, “Protect our American constitutional
freedoms from godless socialism.” Translation: “Let banks charge all the
interest they want. Give tax breaks to billionaires. Screw gun control!”
But what about that cryptic phrase, “You
always have the poor with you?” Lindsey Trozzo of Princeton Theological
Seminary helps us by pointing out that the indicative form of the verb in Greek
(the form that states a fact) is the same as the imperative form (the form that
gives a command)[iii].
So when Jesus says “You always have the poor with you,” it could also be
translated as, “You (I’m talking to you,
plural. All you Christian folks) are
always to have the poor with you. Even when the physical Jesus is gone, he
is still present in the form of the ones he loves—the poor.
If we are to pour ourselves out in costly
devotion, perhaps our best investment will be to love the unlovable and the forgotten.
In such a way, we will never overdo devotion. As the old hymn says:
What shall we give him in costly devotion?
Shall we bring incense and off’rings divine,
Gems of the mountain or pearls from the ocean,
Myrrh from the forest or gold from the mine?
Vainly we offer each ample oblation,
Vainly with gifts would his favor secure;
Richer by far is the heart’s adoration,
Dearer to God are the prayers of the poor.
(Reginald Heber: “Brightest
and Best of the Stars” vv. 3-4. Evangelical
Lutheran Worship, hymn 303)
God bless you, my friend. Please come
again.
[i] I’m
basing this on an 8 hour day at Pennsylvania minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.
Multiply that by 300 and you get one pretty darn expensive bottle of perfume!
[ii] I’m
reminded of the words of a great Philadelphian, W. C. Fields, when asked to be
a pallbearer at the funeral of fellow Philly guy, John Barrymore. “The time to
carry a pal is when he’s alive,” Fields said.
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