pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

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Extravagant Love

Reading: John 12:1-11

Verse 3: “Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair.”

As we step into Holy Week we step back to a reading from two weeks ago. We step back in time as well, to the day before the palm parade. Holy Week centers on Jesus’ great love poured out for you and for me. It is about how much Jesus loves you and me. It is about God’s extravagant love for us. Today’s reading is about extravagant love for Jesus. This too is a part of our Holy Week journey.

During a meal at the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, Mary “took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair.” Monetarily, this gift was worth a year’s wages. It is dumped on a pair of feet – that’s how some saw this gift. And there is excess – Mary collects this with her hair. The gift is so extravagant that some protest it and one even complains out loud. This is an extravagant gift of love that Mary offers to Jesus. Through her example we are invited to consider how we practice this depth of love.

Much of Holy Week is somber and serious. Much of it focuses on all that Jesus did and gave for us, for you and for me. It is important to remember that we are called to model Jesus to the world. As he loved so too are we called to love. It is here that Mary gives us an excellent example of love. Mary could offer no greater gift to Jesus. It was her response to the love that Jesus had poured into her. So, how do you and I practice this kind of love this week? How do you and I respond to God in this manner, loving others extravagantly? This is the challenge for Holy Week – to both receive and give extravagant love. In what way will we make others gasp at or take pause at our gift of extravagant love for another?

Prayer: Lord God, as you provide opportunities for me to love well, give me willing feet and a generous heart. Through me may others begin to see and feel your extravagant love. Amen.


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So Others May Simply Live

We often struggle with the question of “How much?”  It is a question that goes both ways.  How much do I keep for myself, storing it up in the bank?  How much should I give to the church and other charitable organizations?  It is a fine line that is difficult to define or explain.

Could one pay their bills and give the rest of what one has left away at the end of each month?  I suppose one could but it would cause problems when one needs new tires or when a child hits a growth spurt and needs new clothes.  But on the other extreme one does not need millions in the bank either.  In reality, most of us live between these extremes.

Another reality is that most of us live with much more than we need.  We live in abundance.  We live with an excess of food, cars, televisions, clothes, bedrooms in our homes, and on and on and on.  Can we learn to live with enough so that others may simply live?

To do so requires trust and living in community.  We must trust God and each other.  We need to learn to live relying on God to provide and trusting that others will come along side us when we need them to.  We must learn to live in true community, being sensitive to and responsive to the needs of others in our communities.  We must be OK with saying ‘no’ when it is appropriate or when we have nothing to give but still be willing to offer empathy or to help another to other resources.  May we learn to live with less so that others may simply live.

Scripture reference: 2 Corinthians 8: 7-15