| April 18
April 18, 2010 “Something Beautiful for God" Scripture: Matthew 26:6-13
Paul D.
Schoonmaker It
is good to be back with this church family. It has been 10 years since I served
briefly as your interim pastor, but Joan and I have always had a warm
relationship with this church family through the 25 years we have lived in RI. I
realize that this is a difficult time as you and your pastor’s family deal with
the loss their grandson and this church’s loss of Not
only this morning but often it is important to ask ourselves, “How would I like people to remember me?” How would you like people to remember your life? Is there some event, memory or memorial that you would
like to leave behind? Even if you are young, you want your life to make a
difference. It makes us all think about our own legacy, what we hope will
be remembered— and maybe some things that we hope will be soon forgotten. Jesus had a lot to say about our legacy, about what we
leave for others. In our scripture he goes so far as to speak of a memorial
that will last as long as his good news lasts! It has to do with a woman who
did something so significant that Jesus commanded that what she did should be
remembered whenever he is remembered... ...an event not to
be engraved on marble memorials but in our hearts and minds Remembering what she did will help us with our own
grieving and our own legacy. Do you recall from our scripture what Jesus said about her
that evening? He said, "Wherever the gospel is preached all over the world, what she has done shall be told in memory of
her." What is it about this woman?
What did she do that moved Jesus to give this very remarkable command? Let us go back to that room in the town of
Now God has given each of us the gift to imagine things, so
I would ask each of us to use our imaginations this morning to go to another
time and place. I invite you to use your imaginations to go back to Simon's
home in the town of Close you eyes if you need to and begin to imagine the
supper table that night--- ---Here we are in the town of There are other guests as well, but we give Simon, the
host, the most careful scrutiny. We look at him this way because he was once
called Simon the Leper. We are a little nervous, wondering if he really has
been cured and not wanting to take any chances of catching the dread disease. But
Simon looks hale, hardy and, most important, his skin is clear. It is hard to
believe that he ever had leprosy. Yet, that is the purpose of our meal. Simon
is celebrating his healing at the hands of Jesus. Simon is rejoicing and he
intends to give you and me a happy party. But things seem to be a little sober for this party. Jesus is often a lively and happy guest at gatherings, but tonight he seems pensive and subdued. While we guests are busy with food and drink and conversation we can hardly imagine that all of us who call ourselves his friends will abandon him when he needs us most. We cannot possibly know that the next 48 hours will be the most difficult hours of his life.
As we take time to look, we notice
that, as Jesus glances around at his friends at the table, his eyes often fill
with tears. Finally the main course arrives. But, as we are about to dig in,
the meal is suddenly interrupted. A woman has entered the room and moved to a
place behind Jesus. She is not dressed
as a woman of the streets. This is a woman of some refinement. We wonder if it
is possible that she is Mary the sister of Lazarus for she, too, was a resident
of She is stands for a moment; then we all gasp as the woman impulsively
breaks open the sealed jar and pours its entire contents over Jesus'
head! The fragrance immediately fills the room, overcoming the smells of lamb
and herbs and warm bodies. The odor is sweet, but the spirit in the room is not
very sweet, for we are all aware that this is not in very good taste. As Jesus
sits there with ointment dripping off his hair onto the table, Simon is visibly
upset that his happy meal has been so inappropriately interrupted. The moment
passes, and the guests begin to whisper critically. "What did she do that for?" "That anointing oil was worth hundreds of
dollars.” “Why doesn't Jesus say something
to stop this waste?” “Think what that
money could have done for the poor!." "Yes, and she has wasted it by pouring it all out on him." Jesus, who has been quiet through this murmuring,
now is deeply upset, and he says to us all:
"Leave her alone! Why are you bothering her? She has done a fine
and beautiful thing to me. The poor are always in need and you can help them anytime
you wish. But you will not always have
me... you will not always have me.” Now let’s bring our thoughts back to the here and now. What
does this all mean to us? Certainly there are times to do things in good taste-- even in worship. But Jesus is teaching us that there is also a time to love
impulsively. There is a time, as the kids say, “To let it all hang
out”. This was the time. It was two days before Jesus' crucifixion, and he needed a
little love, he needed a lot of love. All the people at that table were
preoccupied with their own concerns. That is true of us as well. If we think
about Jesus at all, we think about what he can do for us. NO ONE THAT NIGHT
THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT THEY COULD DO FOR JESUS. No one thought about his pain, his needs. No one... except
this one w What seemed extravagant to the spiritually blind, was
entirely appropriate to Jesus. This woman had anointed Jesus not only with oil
for his burial, but with love to keep him going through the loveless hours
ahead. It meant a lot to Jesus to have someone sensitive enough to see beyond
their own needs. It meant so much that Jesus commanded that wherever people
speak of him they are also to speak of what happened that night. As we call our imaginations back to this sanctuary, let us
think about what we need to remember for the sake of our own lives
here and now: The first thing to recall is that Jesus didn't want this
woman to be exceptional. That is why he told us to remember her. Everyone of us
has the capability of loving as this woman loved. It is not an particularly feminine
love we are talking about here, but a God-given love that men and women both
CAN express and MUST express if we are to be spiritually alive. Somewhere in this woman's life Jesus had helped her
discover that God loved her very much. Instead of absorbing that love in a
self-centered way, she was ready to pass it on, to give it back to Jesus when
he needed it. In this congregation as in many others there are a lot of folks
in poverty. No, I'm not speaking of the poverty of money or property, but poverty
in our ability to love. So many of us harbor old fears, old hurts, old
resentments that keep us from loving... keep us from
loving our spouses, our children, our parents... keep us from
loving other church members, our enemies and even ourselves. Jesus freed this woman from the poverty of a penny-pinching kind of love. If we accept Jesus' invitation to live in us, he will free
us to do the same. That is the first reason Jesus wanted us to remember this
woman. The second reason is to let us know that extravagant love
is a renewable resource. I have a credit card. I don't know why they call it a
credit card because it doesn't do much for my credit. The more I use it the
less credit I have. But, Jesus' kind of extravagant love is different. The more
you spend the more you have, AND THE LESS YOU SPEND THE LESS YOU HAVE. The alabaster jar was now empty. It could never be poured
out again. But what of the love that prompted the deed? Wasn't there just as
much love afterward... perhaps more? The beautiful thing about extravagant love
is that once God helps you get it flowing, it is like a deep, deep well. God
makes it his business to replenish that well. To be stingy in love, to be
logical in love, to measure it out on our esatimate of deserving is NOT the
Jesus way. Jars of love, unlike jars of ointment, can never be emptied. Lastly, Jesus wants us to remember that love, even
extravagant love, does not guarantee that everything will be OK. The love this
woman lavished on Jesus did not save him. It did not stop evil persons from
doing evil things. Her example of love did not even inspire Jesus' disciples
enough to keep them from abandoning him. Extravagant love does not protect us
or others from the cruel realities of life. BUT, it is what makes life worth
living, and it is what gives life eternal value. Extravagant love is the
lifeline that will keep those who have suffered loss afloat and help them heal.
I have been to
No matter what
other spiritual merit badges we feel we may be earning in this life, unless we
believe that God has loved us extravagantly in Jesus Christ and unless we pass
that extravagant love on to others, we have nothing to be recorded in God's
Book of Life. And, when the world criticizes us for our extravagant and
illogical love, may God be able to say of me, and of you, "He, she, has done a beautiful thing for me.” Prayer: Most
Gracious Heavenly Father, we have come here today to worship you and thank you
for your love and forgiveness in Jesus Christ. Soon we will leave this place.
By your undeserved love we are forgiven people. May we go out and do something
beautiful for you as we love and forgive
others. Amen Pastoral Prayer by
Donna Campopiano Our Dearest Lord, We come to you this morning so very tired in spirit. The voice of this church family moans with the continued sound of grief over the loss of Curtis and Alice. The emptiness we feel that they are no longer physically with us as well as in our quiet thoughts of relief that you have called them home to be with you in your eternal love. We pray that you continue to walk with Pastor Dan, Libby and their family along with the Forsstrom family that they find solace in days ahead.
We pray for Sam that you give him and Deanna
strength and comfort as he starts his recovery.
And for your children all over the world who at this time struggle with
difficult personal issues as well as celebrate with those who have found you in
their pathway to a better life. We give
thanks for the good in our lives, the spiritual nourishment you supply this
church family and the joy of being reminded we are not alone. May all of us here today and those of us who are
scattered feel your blessing. In Jesus name we pray. Amen |
