"Tell it Over and Over Again!"

Scripture Text: Matthew 26:6-13
(Similar references in Mark 14:3-9, Luke 7:36-50, & John 12:1-8)

With Palm Sunday only a week away, we find Jesus now on his way to Jerusalem, and as such, is prepared to receive the dichotomy of emotions from the people, as well as the glory that will come from the love of God. On Sunday, he will be praised with loud hosannas, and by Thursday, he will be thrown aside in favor of the thief and murderer Barabbas. But there is a lot of life for Christ to live in between these two days of extremes.
Today, we find him in Bethany – a suburb of Jerusalem – and he is enjoying a meal with one of the families of that village.

Read Matthew 26:6-9

Each of the gospels records a similar event, but with a few differences. But the central points are basically the same. Jesus is relaxing and a woman comes to him with a jar of fine perfume, and anoints him. While others object to the extravagance, he explains that this was done to prepare him for his death.

In the Jewish tradition, there are several reasons for anointing.
1. Kings, priests and even prophets were anointed as a sign of authority for their office. Oil was poured on their head as a sign of holy consecration, and in some traditions, this practice is carried on, in various ways, even today.
2. Anointing was also offered as a sign of hospitality – usually with oil, but sometimes with water. It was meant to refresh and invigorate the body, and it was a sign to the person that they were welcomed into this home.
3. Oil was used for medicinal purposes. Both the ill and wounded received oil for purposes of healing. In our healing services, a small amount of oil or balm is placed on each person who comes forward.

But the anointing on this day was for none of the above reasons. It was given as an anointing for a person who had died. In addition to the spices that were applied to the body, oil was applied as a sacred sign of God in their life. In 3 of the gospels, the reason that is given is just this – the only difference is in Luke, where he reports it as a sign of admiration and welcome. Either way, the women who came to Jesus in these stories were not acting on their own behalf – there was no way they could have had the courage to do these things on their own – they were acting directly on behalf of God – preparing Christ for his earthly death and, in a most loving way, welcoming him into the next life.

And while the women had no clue as to why they were doing this very precious act for the Lord, those who were observing that day were even more in the dark. Whether it was the disciples, or the Pharisee, or just random bystanders, they could only see this holy gift as a waste of good oil. And in Mark’s gospel, we discover that the value of this gift would be about 1 year’s wages, and those were men’s wages, not women’s! It would have been far more than a year’s income for the woman. It was an extremely expensive gift that she gave that day.

But perhaps the real question for us is this: "Why should Jesus be anointed for death before he had actually died?"

Read Matthew 26:10-13

Anointing after death would be a private thing, and even beyond that, it would be an expected act, a required act. It would have signified the death only, and not the prophesy that his death was near. These women, regardless of which gospel account you are reading, were acting so far outside of their normalcy, out of their comfort zone, out of their routine responsibilities, that these preparations could only be accomplished through the power, and at the direction, of God. It was prophesy itself!

And Jesus tells all who are within earshot that “I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” – in memory of her obedience to God’s call on her life. That should give us an idea of how important this act truly was. And this story has been told and has been read and has been shared by believers for 2,000 years! And as insignificant as this woman would have been in society, and as misunderstood as her act obviously was, this story has truly had a major impact on the Church.

It is about doing what you can and giving what you have.

She may very well have sacrificed the ointment that she had scrimped and saved for over many years, and that would have been used for her own anointing in death. But she had it available, and for some strange reason, felt that this man had a far more immediate need. She gave what she had in the moment that it was needed.

From a poem by Sun Ai Lee-Park –
“A stone is thrown into a calm lake and the stone makes waves spreading, reaching to the far side.
Let us throw stones into the deadly calm of the lake that is our world - no matter how small is the stone, no matter how small is the wave.
The stone brings awakening, the wave is a movement, and the movement spreads when all of us standing together on all sides around the lake keep throwing our little stones.
The wave will never cease till the whole lake starts bubbling with life.”

--Extract from a poem by Sun Ai Lee-Park, as cited in Pauline Webb's “She Flies Beyond: Memories and Hopes of Women in the Ecumenical Movement” (Geneva: WCC Publications, 1993), 73.

So why aren’t we throwing our stones? Why aren’t the stories being told over and over in memory of our faithfulness? These women were nothing special – Luke’s account even tells us that she is a sinner, implying that the woman was a prostitute! And yet, she must have had great faith to do this strange thing. Is ours that strong?
During the past year and a half, we have all experienced a considerable struggle with our financial security. Some have been laid off and others are still facing that possibility. Some have been on reduced work weeks. Some who are retired have seen their retirement investments vaporize. And yet, even though our worship attendance has dropped off significantly from this time last year, our giving seems to be on the rise, and that doesn’t even include our generous gifts to the Haiti relief effort. We have 3 opportunities for Bible study each week, and all of them are well attended. We have a prayer group that meets every week to remember the needs of our church and our world. We have several small group ministries, and they seem to be growing. Other churches, many of which are larger than Campville, are not doing nearly as well.

I have been throwing as many of our “stones” into the “Pond” as I can, but it’s a big pond. Have you been throwing any? Have you been letting others know about this church and its ministries? Have you been making waves of faith?

The story about the woman isn’t told as a means to brag about her – rather, it is about the memory of her expression of faith and her love of Jesus. You may have seen the ads on television where a number of people are proclaiming “I’m not ashamed – I’m not ashamed – I’m not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” I’m sorry that I don’t remember who sponsored the ad, but at least I remember the message. The passage is from Romans 1:16 “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes; first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.”

That is the message that our stones need to tell. Our individual ripples may not be very big, but together, with the many others who are telling the story, the ripples can become a tsunami! We need to share the gospel over and over, throw as many stones as we possibly can. Don’t try to pick the right time, or the right place, or the right person – just start throwing!

Tell the stories of scripture.
Tell the stories of Jesus.
Tell the stories from Campville UMC.
Tell the stories that come from your own life.
Tell them, over and over again. Turn ripples into incredable waves.