Dear friends in Christ, grace and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.

This morning’s reading of Mary anointing the feet of Jesus is the conclusion of a much longer story in St. John’s gospel. It is the miraculous account of Jesus raising Lazarus, the brother of the two sisters Mary and Martha from the dead. Lazarus had already been buried in the tomb for four days, and the sisters’ lives had been shaken with sorrow.  Mary and Martha wanted to believe that Jesus could make all things new, and that their friend and master was the resurrection and the life.  But their trust was gravely challenged.  Jesus arrived at their home four days days after their brother Lazarus had died.  Yes, they watched as Jesus wept at his friend’s tomb, but what more could he do?  To their surprise, Jesus ordered that the great stone placed in front of the stone be rolled away, and then, in a loud voice, he cried out Lazarus, and after a moment, their brother still wrapped in the bands of his burial cloth, walked out of the tomb – alive.  Like the Father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son who had to celebrate the younger son’s return because he was dead and alive again, Mary and Martha had to celebrate the return of their dead brother Lazarus. And of course, they had to honor their friend Jesus for the miracle he had performed.

Miracles do happen in life, though not often as dramatically as in St. John’s gospel.  Acts of healing occur every day; lives do turn around; new beginnings do come to pass. Some miracles are small and go unnoticed, while other occurrences shouldn’t be considered miracles at all.  I am reminded of the wife who considered it a miracle if she could change her husband’s bad habits. Unfortunately, for the husband, it was a no-win situation.  For 25 years, the impatient wife had hounded her husband to put the cap back on the toothpaste tube. Finally, on their 25^th anniversary, he committed himself to breaking the annoying habit.  Faithfully and regularly, he screwed on the toothpaste cap every time he used it.  After a week of unbroken success the poor guy was blindsided by his suspicious wife.  She cornered him at the breakfast table and said, “Why did you stop brushing your teeth?”  But how do you respond when true miracles occur in your life?

The scene in today’s gospel reading of Jesus’ dinner in Bethany offers two possibilities. Consider the response of Mary and that of Judas. For Jesus’ friends Mary, Martha and Lazarus, there was no choice but to celebrate.  The shroud of mourning had been cast off and a feast had to be prepared. No expense was too great.  So Mary went to the bank and withdrew $30,000 for the pound of fragrant nard alone. After all their lamenting cries had been replaced by laughter and music.  The staleness of death had been driven from their home, and was to be filled with the fragrant aroma of perfumed oil.  Mary was deeply thankful for the miracle of new life and opportunity. And although, it was an extravagant gesture of thanksgiving, she honored the Master by anointing his feet with her tears and expensive perfume.  No gift could express her gratitude.  No words could contain her thoughts.  No gesture could convey her thankfulness and love. Mary’s response to God’s miracle was simple.

In happy moments, praise God.  In difficult moments, seek God.

           In quiet moments, worship God. In painful moments, trust God.

And in every moment, thank God!

In contrast, study the response of Judas Iscariot.  St. John the Evangelist would like to say that the disciple’s harsh criticism of Mary was a sign of his greed and dishonesty.  This may be true.  But I believe that Judas’ words also reflect a far more common and calculated response to God’s miracles.  It is to minimize their importance and wonder.  Judas treats Mary’s action as an enthusiastic, but a rather naïve gesture.  “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” There is always an excuse for why we turn aside from giving God his glory and our thanks. Perhaps that’s your excuse.  You don’t believe you’re stingy, but you don’t see the need or wonder in presenting God a gift of thanksgiving for all the marvelous things he has done.  You’re rather like the twenty dollar bill and the one dollar bill who met one day in the bank.  The one-dollar bill asked the twenty where he had been since he was issued.  The twenty-dollar bill answered proudly, “Oh, I’ve been traveling around. I’ve been to the movie theatre, basket ball game, a play, and a few restaurants.  And where have you been?” the twenty said to the one dollar bill.  “Oh, I’ve been traveling too.  I’ve been to the Catholic, Methodist, Presbyterian and Lutheran churches.”  The twenty-dollar bill looked confused, “Could you tell me?  What’s a church?  I’ve never been there.” Perhaps for you, sacrificial giving or a gift of thanksgiving has no meaning.  You’re not alone. More of us hold tightly onto our purse strings like Judas than offer freely everything we possess like Mary.

But my friends, our response to God’s miracles isn’t simply about the offering of our personnel treasures.  For many today, even kneeling before the feet of Jesus and giving thanks is awkward and unnatural. We are often surrounded by skeptics, and frankly, more damage can be done by elusive followers than questioning outsiders. Judas watched as Mary poured the expensive oil over Jesus’ feet.  The guests at the table too watched as Mary let down the tightly wrapped hair from around her head.  They marveled as she wept and, kissed Jesus’ feet, anointing his feet as a gesture of deepest love, drying his feet with her long, falling hair.  Some were moved, but Judas, scoffed. Was this lavish gift beautiful or naïve?

Mary’s act of love, so lavish and extravagant, offers a wonderful foreshadowing of the greater gift yet to be revealed, when God would offer himself to the world in the gift of his only begotten son.  In but a few days, Jesus himself would die, and for a second time, the perfumed oil would be prepared. There would be nothing economical or sparing about this man’s death, just as there had been nothing economical about his life. In him, the extravagance of God’s love was made flesh for you.  In him, the excessiveness of God’s mercy was manifest, for you. That is the good news of the story. God’s love for you cannot be held back. Like Mary, his precious love for you cannot be spared.  It is openly offered and used, at great price in his son Jesus..

So how will you respond to God’s great love?  My friends, that is how we draw near to the cross of cross again this Easter. Will your words echo the sentiments of Judas, “This was truly wasted?”  Or will your response be that of the unassuming Mary, who could do nothing more than offer everything she had, her most precious treasure and her tears?  Which one are you, Judas or Mary?  Only you can decide.  Amen.

May the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  Amen.