OPENING THE GOSPELS: Lent 5

 THE FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT

Click on the links for an introduction to the series, and the techniques of reading with your head, heart and hands.

John 12.1-8  (Isaiah 43.16-21,Philippians 3.4b-14)

12Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 2There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. 3Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, 5‘Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?’ 6(He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) 7Jesus said, ‘Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. 8You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.’

HEAD QUESTIONS

WHO?

Jesus: What do we learn about Jesus from this passage?

Lazarus: In the previous chapter, Jesus has raised Lazarus, the brother of Martha and Mary, from death. We don’t hear anything else about him apart from this story, and he isn’t mentioned as a brother of Martha and Mary in any other Gospels. 

Mary is a good friend and follower of Jesus, and seems to be the only one who has believed him when he says he will soon be arrested and killed. We don’t know much about her, but we do know from Luke 10.38 that she has a serious interest in theology, sitting at Jesus feet to listen to him, rather than helping her sister Martha prepare food, taking the traditional role expected of a woman. There are many Marys in the Gospels; it was a popular name. It is easy to confuse them, but this is not Mary Magdalene, or Mary the mother of Jesus, or Mary the mother of James.  There are also a number of other stories of women anointing Jesus (e.g Mark 14, Matthew 26). Either this happened on multiple occasions, or there was a memory preserved by eyewitnesses of something like this happening, and of the woman being honoured by Jesus for her actions, which the Gospel writers, writing between the 60s and 90s AD wanted to preserve and pass on.  

Martha is, once again, serving Jesus and the disciples in this story.

Judas Iscariot is called “one of the disciples”. Disciple literally means “learner”. Judas has been travelling around with Jesus, watching and listening over the several years of his ministry. But what has he learned? He has been given the responsibility of taking care of the common funds which supported Jesus and his band of learners, but, according to the writer of the Gospel, he has been stealing from it, though there’s no other evidence he was a thief. Within a few days Judas will betray Jesus to the Jewish authorities, telling them where he can be found, and as a result his name has become a byword for treachery. 

WHERE?

Bethany: Bethany is about 8 km (5 miles) east of Jerusalem. It would have been considered as a fairly short walk at the time, down the steep hillside which is now known as the Mount of Olives. Jesus stayed there a number of times, according to the Gospels, probably on his way to and from Jerusalem. 

WHEN?

“Six days before the Passover” In this story John begins to set the scene for Jesus’ death and crucifixion, which happened during the Jewish feast of the Passover. This feast, the most important in the Jewish calendar, celebrated the liberation of the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt, and the beginning of their journey towards the Promised Land. Christians believe that the death of Jesus set people free in a new way to live in a new Kingdom, a new Promised Land. 

WHAT?

Mary anoints Jesus with very precious ointment – nard was very valuable (and very pungent!) and often used to anoint the dead. Judas appears shocked at this rather extravagant gesture, seeing it as wasteful (though John doubts his motivation). Jesus recognises this as an act of love and support; Mary is anticipating his death and acknowledging its significance by anointing him in advance. The extravagance of the gesture is her response to the extravagant love of God which she has seen in Jesus.

“You will always have the poor with you.” Jesus isn’t saying that helping the poor is wrong – that wouldn’t fit with the rest of the Gospels – but that it isn’t enough simply to meet physical need. Mary’s expression of love and support also matters, just as the small gestures of care we might give to others, even if we can’t do anything to change their situation, can bring immense comfort. 

HEART QUESTIONS

• What do you feel as you read this passage? Who do you identify with? Do you think Judas has a valid point (whatever his motives)? 

• Have you ever given or received a gesture of love in a tough time? What difference did it make?

• Are there scents which evoke particular times, people or places that are special to you? 

HANDS QUESTIONS

• What do you feel prompted to do in response to this Gospel story?