sondancing 1.4

Nard

     One of the benefits of a (mostly) digital newsletter is that I am not constrained by the amount of space on an 8-1/2 x 11 sheet of paper.  This one-page catch-up issue is about nard.  I can hear you thinking: “Hmmm.”

       John wrote in his Gospel (12:1-8) that just before He entered Jerusalem for the last time (Easter Week), Jesus attended a special dinner given in His honor. Lazarus, recently raised from the dead, was there, as were his sisters Martha and Mary. Guess which sister served the meal? And while she did that, Mary poured about a pint of nard, a crazy expensive perfume, on Jesus feet and wiped them with her hair.  Clearly, perfume marketing was not up to today’s standards, because I can’t think of many worse names for the spendy liquid than nard. And clearly, Mary’s act of devotion caused quite a stir. Judas Iscariot, who John rightly labels a thief, selfishly objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” In what seems to be a parallel account written by Matthew (26:6-13), the other disciples were described as being upset as well. But Jesus rebuked them all, saying that Mary was, in fact, anointing His body for burial.

       Most of us read these accounts, dismiss Judas as a traitor, and mentally berate the disciples for being cheap and/or shortsighted. But we’ve read the end of the story, while the disciples didn’t even know they were in the story of stories, much less how their story would play out.  They were lodging legitimate, “good stewardship” objections. “Hey Jesus, it sure doesn’t seem to us like good stewardship of God’s resources for Mary to pour all that Chanel No.5 on Your feet. We could have sold the bottle and supported the Jerusalem Gospel Mission soup kitchen for close to six months! And You just got done telling us the Parable of the Talents (Matt. 25:14-30) – wasn’t she listening?”

       Extravagant love is sometimes expressed in extravagant ways.  Extravagant devotion is taken to extravagant extremes. Extravagant obedience can go far beyond the letter of the law. Sometimes our love, or devotion, or obedience, doesn’t make common sense. It is not good stewardship.  It is not wisdom.  It is not good time management. Sometimes, however, stewardship and resource management evaluations are made according to the standards of the Kingdom of God, which can differ greatly from those of the world.  God sees what we have done. He smells the “nard” of our love or devotion or obedience. And He is greatly pleased. After all, right after Mary poured out her nard on His feet, Jesus poured out His blood on the Cross  . . . extravagant, foolish love - to the extreme. Happy Easter. He is risen!