"Giving Our Best" - John l2:l-8 - March 29, l998

The other day I was shaving and when I went to put on my after-shave lotion I noticed that the bottle was just about empty. That may not seem like a big deal to you but it’s a long time to Father’s day. That is when I will most likely get my next bottle. The one I have now I received at Christmas. Oh, I have others but they are not the "good stuff." I must admit that I like quality after-shave, like Nautica or Abercrombie and Fitch. The cheap brands just don’t do anything for me anymore.

No one ever said to me, "I really like your Aqua Velva." But they do give me comments about the "good stuff." Mary gave Jesus the "good stuff." It was symbolic of her admiration for Jesus and all that he meant to her. It was an act of devotion and although Judas objected, Jesus defended her. It was not sacrilegious for her to use the expensive perfume in that way.

This is an story that describes unfaithfulness in a way that is different than we normally expect. We usually think of unfaithfulness in terms of disbelief, doubt, fear, oppression, intolerance or hate. Here, however unfaithfulness is depicted as Judas’ objection to Mary’s act of using a costly perfume in a way that is not practical. Judas wants to sell the ointment and give the money to the poor. A noteworthy gesture but we all know he has a hidden agenda. God deserves the best, but Judas is not willing to give it.

Like it or not devotion has a cost. It is expensive and never practical. Those of us who have been raised in families that teach economic conservatism find it difficult to pay for quality. We have been taught to get the biggest bang for the buck we can. Purchasing expensive things is seen as "sinful" or wasteful. In spite of our thriftiness we find a way to rationalize trips to exotic places or splurge on quality things that we believe will enhance the meaning of our lives. When it comes to our spirituality we are not always as eager to invest great sums.

I believe that most folks appreciate quality when it comes to the church. One could easily make an argument for the fact that this text supports quality worship and when it comes to our faith we need to be giving our best. But, this story is as much about Judas "holding back" as it is Mary, giving the very best.

Judas was not willing to give the degree of quality devotion to Jesus that Mary gave. In an act of reverence and love she anointed Jesus with the perfume as one would anoint a king. Judas, on the other hand, becomes his betrayer. Just as he wanted to holdback the "good stuff" he held back his own life as a form of devotion. In other words, Judas was unfaithful since he was unwilling to devote himself. Instead of giving God his best he gave very little.

Why did Judas hold back? Why did he lack commitment? There are many theories on this subject and scholars feel there is too much obscurity to make any definitive conclusions. In the beginning Judas was an enthusiastic follower like all the rest but something motivated him to ultimately hold back. As a result he was called a liar, the false one, a hypocrite and here in John, a thief. What caused him to turn from the group may never be known. Perhaps it was fear or perhaps he was used by the religious establishment. I believe that he character of Judas is here to remind us that there are times in our lives when we are holding back rather than give our best.

Jesus never held back. Even in the midst of temptation he kept moving forward. Mary did not hold back, she gave out of love and devotion with no regard to the cost. Shannon Wright, the teacher in Jonesboro, Arkansas, who shielded her students from gun fire did not hold back. She was totally committed to the life of her students.

How often do we look at the past and regret the fact that we "held back" when we should have invested more time, resources and energy? I had an opportunity to purchase a parcel of lakefront land for a meager $2,000. But, I held back. I could have had a cabin on the lake, with space for a dock. Now it is practically impossible to find lake front property at all, let alone at a price I could afford. I can think of other examples of times in my life when I could have given more of myself. I often regret the fact that I didn’t work harder in my English classes. I now realize the importance of all those theme papers and exercises we did on sentence structure, punctuation and spelling.

Those things that I gave my all to early in life have had lasting benefits for me. Like music, participation in my church youth group and taking advantage of opportunities. But the things I held back on have held me back.

To give our best and not hold back doesn’t mean we have to step into the path of a bullet. Most of the time it is the simple, subtle things we can do that can make a difference. This past week I was playing in a stage band for the local high school musical. During intermission the director said we were playing with uncertainty. In other words, the musicians were holding back. As a result the music was weak and choppy. He said we all needed to be more forceful, "letting out all the stops." The rest of the musical was much better since none of us were holding back.

There are a number of ways that we hold back. One is by giving less than l00%. Those times when we give a half-hearted effort. And for our efforts we receive less than quality results. Another way is to procrastinate. We put something off until tomorrow which really means we have given it a lower priorty. We also hold back when we use inferior resources. I am faced with painting the gable ends on my home this summer because I used cheap paint three years ago. I regret the fact that I didn't purchase quality paint.

When we really believe in something, God wants us to give our very best. There is an advertisement at Christmas time that goes something like this; "Give that special someone the very best, giver her Channel No. 5." God wants us to give Channel No. 5 when it comes to our faith. God wants to be admired, worshipped and loved. God wants us to give our all when it comes to our spiritual growth and development, the nurture of our children, especially in the family of God. God wants us to give the "good stuff" when it comes to worship and building he community of faith. Holding back will only make it harder in the future. Giving our best will enhance our lives, the people around us, and all those that follow.

Dr. Keith Wagner, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Sidney, Ohio