March 21, 2010 John 12:1-8

John 12:1-8

Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. 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. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, ‘Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?’ (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.) Jesus said, ‘Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.’
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This story is one of the few that appears in all four gospels: Mark 14:3-9, Matthew 26:6-13, Luke 7:36-50, and John 12:1-8. The versions differ from each other in details, but in all four: a woman anoints Jesus with an expensive perfume, someone objects to the extravagant display of devotion, and Jesus defends her. John is the only Gospel to identify Judas as the one who objected. I take it that this story must have had special significance for the early church. There are a limited number of reasons to perpetuate a story. One of those is to justify a practice, belief, or ritual. If someone criticizes a church's "waste" of money on fine altarpieces, expensive cathedrals, or other extravagant displays of wealth one only need to point to the gospels for justification. Moreover, if the apologist uses John's gospel he is inferring that the questioner is less than honest.

Putting John's parenthetical comments about Judas aside consider Judas' question.

Why should so much money be "wasted" in honoring one man instead of being spent on mission?

How can a place of worship justify extravagant buildings and art when members of the community are homeless and hungry?

What is an appropriate salary and benefit package for the CEO of a non-profit?

What percentage of a church's income should go to mission?