April
7, 2019
Isaiah
43:16-21
Psalm
126
Philippians
3:4b-14
Please
pray with me,
Gracious
God, as you led the Israelites through the wilderness, as you were with Joseph
and Mary as they journeyed to Bethlehem, and as you journeyed with Jesus to the
cross….you are with us now. Guide our
hearts, minds and bodies on this Lenten journey. Continue to turn us toward you, creating
within us clean hearts, marking us with the cross, lighting our paths and
guiding us every step of the way. In
Jesus’ name we pray amen.
There
is a commercial on TV right now where an older woman walks by a younger woman
at the grocery store in a workout outfit, and says, you smell just like my
Walter. Apparently, the younger woman
has used some type of sports rub or some other potent ointment that fondly reminds this woman of
her Walter.
Our
sense of smell can sometimes be the one that is connected to the most
memories. I don’t know about you, but
catching a certain smell can take me to a specific time and place. For me, there is a smell to camp. Something about the mix of the woods and lake
that just smells like camp.
There
is the smell of the first summer rain as it hits the hot pavement.
There
is the smell of sticky buns when you are in the 8am service on a sticky bun
Sunday.
I’m
going with the good smells today…
You
may have a favorite meal that when smell it, it takes you back to a special or
favorite time or place and for a moment, just a moment, you are there.
Because
here’s the thing with the things we smell…a scent can permeate just about
anything. Just try walking downstairs
after we have a lock-in…the axe body spray scent coming out of the boys’ room
can sometimes knock you out.
But
seriously, I want you to think about a time when you were surrounded by a
smell…because that is what happens in our gospel reading today. And the smell, permeates the room and the
bodies of everyone present.
In
the context of a dinner at the home of Lazarus, Mary kneels at the feet of
Jesus, anoints them with costly perfume and dries them with her hair. As soon as the perfume hit the air, the scent
was unstoppable. If the actions of Mary
didn’t catch the attention of others in the room, the scent of the perfume most
definitely did.
It
caused Judas to question her actions and how the money could have been better
spent on the poor.
The
scent of this perfume draws us in to this intimate moment between Mary and
Jesus a moment that brings to us the amazing relationship that Jesus wishes to
have with each and every one of us.
And
that relationship is an intimate one and a reciprocal one. Just as Jesus loves Mary, she visually shows
that love in the presence of others.
This, my friends, is the depth and love that Jesus has for each and
every one of us, and calls us to respond in love just the same.
Any
relationship that involves love is an intimate one.
It
means allowing time for trust to build, it means being able to truly be
yourself in the presence of the other one and it means willingness to be
vulnerable. To truly build relationships
with one another in love means that we need to be open and honest with one
another, willing to admit faults and imperfections and willingness to love the
other, just as they extend love to us.
That’s
the love that Jesus has for you and for me.
That’s
the love that Mary shows Jesus in this act of love and grace.
That’s
the love that Jesus wants for all of his followers, even if we can’t see
it.
Alongside
Mary’s intimate relationship with Jesus, we have Judas. He is labeled as the one who will betray
Jesus. He calls Mary out for wasting
money that could’ve been used on the poor.
He misses this extraordinary gift that Mary gives Jesus because he
thinks the money could’ve been better spent.
Not
that any of us could relate to that, right?
We’ve
never missed an amazing moment of God’s grace because we didn’t think it was
done the right way….or because we were mad at someone who had a part in
it.
We’ve
never been the older son standing outside the party as the younger son returned
to his father’s abundant love and grace….
Oh
wait.
It
happens, it happens more often than we’d like to admit. Or maybe as a pastor, I’d rather not admit
that it happens to me at all.
But
there are times and places where I have missed a moment of grace, the abundant
extravagance of God’s love because I’ve been mad/self-centered/stubborn/focused
on my own end game…you fill in the blank.
Maybe you can relate, too.
I
was at some sort of fundraising outing when the 50/50 raffle ticket winner was
drawn. The winner gave their winnings
back to the organization to support the fundraiser. Someone I didn’t know at a table nearby said
something like, yeah they should do that, they have enough money already.
And
I thought to myself, this person missed the point. This person was only focused on the presumed
wealth that the raffle winner had and not the action of giving out of that
abundance.
It
happens to us all the time, and sometimes it even happens in this
sanctuary. A place where we gather week
after week, confess our sins and we all receive this gift of forgiveness and if
that isn’t enough, we come up to this altar, this table and receive a gift that
we could never earn, one that we don’t even deserve. But it is freely given to us because God
loves us.
But
sometimes when we sit in our pews, we’re angry about something or someone.
We
are distracted by our own days and lives and are inside our own heads.
We
are worried about what the next day will bring, let alone what is in store for
us in the next year.
And
we miss it.
We
miss the love that God has for us.
We
miss the depth of this gift that God has given to us.
Yet
this grace upon grace, this amazing gift that God has for you and for me….
It
still abounds.
"In
our gospel reading, this grace upon grace smells like an absurd amount of the
most expensive and lovely perfume, the fragrance of which when released form
the bottle soaks into every possible crevice."
(Karoline Lewis)
This
grace upon grace soaks into every possible crevice of this space. It’s impossible to avoid it, but sometimes we
may not notice it.
Yet,
we’ll leave this place somehow changed and transformed to continue in our
loving relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
As
that grace envelopes you this day, think about how you live out that grace and
love with others.
Think
about how much God loves you and desires to be in an intimate relationship with
you.
You
are loved.
You
are God’s chosen.
Live
into that love, and the abundance of grace that is part of the relationship
that God has with you.
Live
into that relationship with God.
Show
that love in your words, actions and deeds of generosity.
Baffle
others around you as you surround yourself with the love of God and live
through it.
And
now may the peace, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds
in Christ Jesus, and let all God’s people say, amen.
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