Gospel John 12.1-8 Mary Anoints Jesus
12 Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 2 There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. 3 Mary 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. 4 But 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[b] 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.) 7 Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. 8 You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”
Sermon: Humble Hair & Violent Slap.”
Mary’s hair was flowing and beautiful. Mary’s hair was waits long and deep brown as her attentive eyes.
Mary’s hair was usually tied up in a bun and braid to be practical, when she was cleaning the house, preparing meals, carrying water from the well or washing the dusty dirty clothes of hers, her beloved sister Martha’s and brother Lazarus.
On that day, Mary’s hair was as free and flowing as her spirit and her soul.
On that day, Jesus had come for dinner at their house, and Mary and Martha had been busy getting ready, preparing dishes with taste and tenderness, setting the table and looking forward to once again sharing time and place with their beloved friend Jesus.
So, on that day, Mary’s hair had to come down. Her spirit and her senses were filled with gratitude for his man, who had raised her brother from the dead, who had been a faithful friend and a spiritual leader, - but her spirit and senses were also filled with worry and sadness.
Mary had heard him talk about the path he was on to Jerusalem: that he had to suffer, yes even die to give atonement for the sins of the world. Mary painfully knew that he was on that path for her sake too, - and she had to prepare him.
So, as Martha served the dinner and Lazarus sat at the table with their beloved guest, - Mary let her hair down. She took a pound of the best perfume of pure nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet, and then wiped them with her hair. Her rite was lavish, intimate and sensual. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume and the spirit of her faith.
Mary’s hair was a humble expression of her faith and her love. Mary’s beautiful act of service, preparation, anointment and faith stopped the conversation around the table and even stopped busy Martha.
Judas was complaining and only seeing waste and criticizing her action.
Martha was loudly sighing and complaining “Look at her…. Still, it is only ME who is doing the dishes, serving the plates while she….is wasting her time and expensive perfume. Once again, my sister, Mary, was letting her hair down and making a fool of herself.”
The others at the table might have had their thoughts, but Jesus reached out to Mary and praised her for her spontaneous love, her passion and compassion, her deep faith displayed in a beautiful ritual.
Look at the bulletin cover for a moment. A beautiful painting by Huibing He called “A precious gift to share.” Mary’s letting her hair down, letting her spirit flow and lavishing gracious love.
We need more Mary’s in the world.
We need more moments like this in the world.
We need more female nurturing leaders, trendsetters, and role models.
We need to let our hair down more to show and share lavish love in a world that truly needs more love than angry more men calling to war, angrily shouting and violently slapping.
As many of you, I was watching the Oscars Sunday Eve. Eagerly rooting for the Danish nominations, but even more enjoying a fine show. Until that moment.
Until that moment of a slap in the face. A violent act that in some absurd way also had to do with a woman’s hair.
But first, it has to do with bad judgement and unacceptable violence. At first, I thought it was a bad joke and a bad planned stunt but was quickly painfully aware it was all too real. A bad joke, yes even a tasteless joke it might have been. But to reply with an act of violence. On TV! Lowering the bar for what is acceptable and good behavior. And to make it worse, later the face slapping actor was celebrated with a standing ovation for his leading role as if nothing had happened.
It could not have been two more different images of human behavior and dignity and humility than Mary’s soothing hair and Oscar’s slapping hand.
It is never OK to be violent. It is never OK or wise to react on your strong emotions with violence. “Count to ten…. And find some words to say.”
What a sad display of misunderstood male masculinity and protection of your woman…. what a sad image.
But did not Jesus tell us to turn the other cheek, to forgive, to not let the anger rule you.
What truly bothers me more than seeing a member of Hollywood Glamour Club make a colossal mistake at his finest hours of recognition, is that many people afterwards tried to justify it and like himself even called it love, a way of protecting women. “I am on Will Smith Team. It is so nice to see a man defend his woman……. “
There is absolutely no protection that could have been done when an insensitive joke had already been make. Protection must be made prior to an event, if possible. At that point, there was only protest: violent or non-violent. This was not protection, but retaliation.
Or as former basketball star Kareen Abbdul Jabbar solemnly wrote: “With a single petulenant blow, he advocated violence, diminished women, insulted the entertainment industry, and perpetuated stereotypes about the Black community.”
Use your words to protect. Not your fists.
As a woman and even as a female pastor, I have also had my share of insensitive jokes, bad jokes, unkind words or insulting accusations. Just imagine if my husband, if peaceful Soren go up in church or in the hall over lunch and hit someone in the face, - when would that ever be, OK?
We need peace. We need reconciliation. We need love. We need understanding. We need more of Mary’s free flowing hair and humble spirit.
Forgiveness does abound, but we must learn from it, and we could not be clearer: love is not violence. Violence is not love.
And that is what eventually was expressed in a post-Oscar-slapping apology:
“Violence in all forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night academy awards was unacceptable and inexcusable.……
I would like to publicly apologies to you. I was out of line, and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I wat to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.”
Apology accepted. Lesson learned. Again ,quoting Kareem who by the way is a good friend of Will Smith: “ I don’t want to see him ostracized or punished because of this one, albeit a big one, mistake. I just wat this to be a cautionary tale for others not to romanticize or glorify bad behavior. “
There is indeed a lot of violence in our world of war and hatred: this time of ours is violent, and we need to show a different image of who we are and what we are. And, just maybe: more Mary’s are needed on the world scene than Wills, Oscars or Vladimir’s.
This is the last Sunday before we enter our Holy Week. Next Sunday it will be Palm Sunday and then Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
This is the last Sunday before we enter our Holy Week: a week were we glorify good behavior, humble behavior, peaceful behavior and loving behavior. One holy week of celebrating the faithful humble and gracious love of Jesus. A path that was paved with peace, love, forgiveness, hope, healing, and grace.
In the face of mock, pain, suffering and hardship, Jesus showed a way of humility, meekness, and peace. “Turn the other cheek. Walk the extra mile. Treat others as you would like to be treated.”
Or as Paul wrote to his congregation.
3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. 5 Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
Jesus lived a life and died on the cross, showing us that love is always strongest even than the hardest slap in the face…, the death on a cross or a valley of despair. Love is. Was and will be. Because God is love. Love is God.
That was what Mary understood. Mary learned from sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening to his teaching that God spares nothing in loving us and asks us to spare nothing in loving each other.
Let us celebrate Mary’s flowing free hair of spirit and gracious love.
Let us” live while you are living
and do not be envious
But wish the living all the best in life,
A hand can be clenched
as well as be opened
Use it for caressing and not for hitting
Tomorrow is the possibility
of yet another day
Where nothing is quite the same
as before.
Amen.