“Quality Love” – John 12:1-8 – March 25th

There is a television program on TLC that my wife and I like to watch together. It’s called, “What Not to Wear.” A person is nominated by her friends or co-workers because they don’t dress in a manor that is appropriate for their age, physique and occupation. When they are selected by the What Not To Wear staff they are surprised with an all expenses paid trip to New York City to go shopping. They are given a credit card for $5,000 and in the process of shopping they are coached by a team of experts, Tracey and Clinton, who help them to choose the right clothes. Besides shopping they are also given a trip to a beautician and cosmetologist, who show them a better hairstyle and how to use some makeup to improve their looks.

The results are amazing. The person selected is almost always totally transformed. They feel better about themselves and their self esteem gets a really big lift. However, the change does not come without a little sacrifice and grief since they have to give up their total current wardrobe. When the person returns home they are met by their friends and relatives who are overwhelmed by the newly changed friend. The show has a little flavor of Cinderella, but it does make the point that by purchasing quality clothing, a person’s personality and looks can definitely be enhanced.

In one particular episode a woman spent only $40 a year on new clothes. She was very proud of the fact that she was so thrifty. She didn’t realize however, how much her outdated and inappropriate clothing was affecting the way others perceived her. There is nothing wrong with being thrifty, but the old adage is true; “You get what you pay for.”

That is no less true of our faith. Being thrifty will not provide you with a first class facility, quality ministry and meaningful experiences. God deserves the best that we can give and to give God the best requires sacrifice.

In our story, Mary, anointed Jesus’ feet with extremely expensive perfume. It was imported from the Himalayas. From the story, we know that it cost three hundred denarii. That was equivalent to a person’s income in that time for an entire year. Can you imagine making that kind of sacrifice for your faith?

Judas complained that it was extravagant and the money spent on perfume could have been given to the poor. But, consider the source. This was a man who was a thief and the same man who would later betray Jesus. He was just making an excuse to justify his own selfishness. Judas did not consider it important to waste the perfume on Jesus. Mary, on the other hand, paid honor to Jesus by anointing him with the precious perfume.

Mary honored Jesus. He would soon be leaving them and this was a way of showing respect for a man who represented the love of God. When it comes to our faith, honor is an important concept. Honor means to hold in high esteem, to show respect or give credit to. When you honor someone you make them feel special.

I recall one of Gary Smalley’s marriage enrichment seminars where he was sharing the key ingredients to a successful marriage. He said that a marriage is stronger when we “honor” our spouses. He demonstrated that honor by passing a Stradivarius Violin through the group. It was a priceless instrument. When they saw the label they were in awe of what they were holding. In the same way, he said, we should be in awe of our spouse. By doing so we are honoring them. When we honor our spouse we show them devotion.

Jesus acknowledged Mary’s devotion to him by saying to Judas, “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.” Here, we have a key ingredient for discipleship. God wants and expects our devotion. Mary made a huge sacrifice to demonstrate her devotion. The sacrifice Jesus made would be to give his whole life.

How do we devote ourselves to God in modern times? We honor God by giving God our very best and the love we give to others needs to be quality love.

Karl Menniger organized the work of the Menniger Clinic around love. “From the top psychiatrist down to the electricians and caregivers,” Menniger said, “all contacts with patients must manifest unlimited love.” One of the patients at the clinic was a woman who sat in her rocking chair for three years and never said a word to anyone. Her doctor called a nurse and said, “Mary, I’m giving you Mrs. Brown as your patient. All I’m asking you to do is to love her till she gets well.” The nurse accepted the challenge. She got a rocking chair of the same kind as Mrs. Brown’s, sat beside her, and loved her morning, noon, and night. On the third day, Mrs. Brown spoke. Within a week, she was out of her shell and healed.

Quality love is love where you put yourself totally in another person’s shoes. It may require a long-time personal investment and much patience. The end result however, is that a life can be transformed.

I said earlier that the woman on the show, What Not to Wear, was transformed. She received some new quality outfits and it elevated her self esteem and enhanced her personality. The change also changed the people around her. Here, Mary, a woman disciple surrounded by men, transforms their understanding of what it means to follow Jesus. Earlier in John, Jesus was called teacher. Now, he is called, Lord.

The lives of people around us can be transformed also when they witness the high priority we give to our faith. The day following this story Jesus enters Jerusalem. Although his death is getting near he continues to teach his followers. He said, “The light is with you for a little longer. While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light.” Jesus wants his followers to have a faith that helps others to see.

There is an old legend that a just and good man went to Sodom one day, hoping to save the city from God’s judgment. He tried to talk to one individual than another, but no one would engage in conversation with him. Next he tried carrying a picket sign that said, “Repent” in large letters. But, nobody paid any attention to him or the sign. Finally he began going from street to street and from marketplace to marketplace, shouting loudly, “Repent!” The people laughed at him but he kept on shouting.

One day a person stopped him and said, “Stranger, can’t you see that your shouting is useless. No one is listening.” He replied, “Yes, I see that.” The man then said, “So, why do you continue?” He then replied, “When I arrived in this city, I was convinced that I could change the people. Now, I continue to shout because I don’t want them to change me.”

We can never know the true outcome of our actions. What we do or say may not have any immediate effect. Mary’s act of pouring expense perfume over Jesus’ feet was a decisive one. She acted out of total devotion, not calculating the cost or speculating about the consequences. For her there was a sense of urgency. Jesus would soon be crucified. While some may want to judge her act of love for Jesus as wasteful, Jesus did not. He affirmed her timely act of love and devotion.

It is important to note that there is a real contrast in this story. Since this was the time of Passover, the faithful were making their annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem to celebrate a significant religious feast. It was their custom and they were in a habit of making the journey. It was also their duty. On the other hand, Mary paid homage to Jesus out of love and respect. It was not something she was expected to do, nor was she obligated. Mary acted spontaneously out of the generosity and genuineness of her heart.

Those who are chosen to participate in the program, What Not to Wear, are given an opportunity to be transformed. But, in order for that to happen they have to break from their normal tradition and habits. They can’t experience newness as long as they stay dependent on the past. Mary took a risk and she was criticized for her behavior. Nevertheless, her love of Jesus could not be denied.

Mary will never be known for starting a new movement. Nor will she be remembering for building a glorious structure, or being an author of a famous book. She will be remembered only because of her one grateful act of love.

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