Randall Caselman
Bella Vista Church of Christ
12/21/97 pm
A Sunday Night In Bethany
Reading - John 12.1-11
Go with me now to Bethany. A quite sleepy village on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives. It was the hometown of Mary, Martha, Lazarus and of Simon the leper. It’s a Sunday night and a Party is being given in honor of Jesus, by His friends. This get-to-gather takes place in the home of Simon. When we put John and the synoptic gospels together, we can pretty well compile the guest list... It is relatively small, 15 men and 2 women... 17 in all.
The scene is like this:
- Fifteen men are reclining at the dinner table... Jesus, the 12, Lazarus and Simon the host.
- Martha is serving.
- Mary is there also.
In what appears to be a spontaneous outburst of her love for Jesus, she breaks open a container of expensive perfume. She anoints the feet of Jesus with the liquid. This display of Mary’s true feeling toward Jesus brings a rebuke from Judas Iscariot. What a waste!! This jar of Nard could have been sold for a years wages and the proceeds given to the poor.
When we bring in the other two narratives, we find that others in the room begin to agree with Judas. John lets us know the true motive of Judas was not really the poor, but himself. He was stealing from the ministry. Jesus quiets the argument by saying, Let her alone, the poor you have with you always, I will soon be gone. The text closes with many, pure in heart people believing, but those with wrong motives begin a plot to kill Jesus.
For our lesson tonight, I want each of us to project ourselves back to Bethany. Let’s pretend that our name has been added to this guest list. Each of us here tonight are in the room when Mary opens the jar of Nard. We listen to the discussion. Where do we personally fit into this narrative. Are we Mary... Perhaps we see ourselves serving as the host... Simon. Maybe Lazarus... Judas... The apostles. Let’s examine each and see what can learn.
FIRST, SIMON THE LEPER.
This was his party... His idea... His house... His food... His hospitality. No doubt Simon was giving this party to say, thank you Jesus. Thank you for rescuing me, healing me, and for raising my friend Lazarus from the dead. We know Simon was cured or he could not have been in the house with these guests. He would have had to stay outside calling out Leper, Leper, Leper. We know that Lazarus is alive because some Pharisaical Jews were calling for his death, because he is a witness to the power of this Jesus. Can you feature people wanting to kill a man that wouldn’t stay dead. Can any of us identify with Simon tonight? Rich.. Poor... Middle class, we don’t know his financial resources, but he has opened his home to Jesus and His friends.
Question! When was the last time we thanked Jesus by opening our home in His honor?
- A Bible study at our house?
- A get-together of Christian friends?
- A meal served to those in need?
- An invitation to dine for visitors to our services?
Hospitality is the word. Paul says Christians, saints, are to be given to hospitality. Romans 12.13. Elders are only qualified, if they are men of hospitality. 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. Peter says we all ought to extend hospitality one to another. 1 Peter 4.9. The Greek literally means... Found of guest. I believe these scriptures are saying to us, children of God are to be people people. The church is to be in the people business. Jesus was a people person. Simon was acting like Jesus. Are we willing?
You see, Jesus had healed Simon of Leprosy... Simon is saying, thank you Lord. Jesus has healed us of spiritual leprosy, forgiven us of all our sins. We are clean... Spiritually, white as snow. We must be willing to:
- Honor Him,
- Thank Him,
- Praise Him,
By our acts of hospitality.
SECONDLY, LET’S LOOK AT MARTHA.
Verse two states it so simply, do you see it?... Martha served. Martha is doing what she is always doing, what she does best. Serving was Martha’s way of saying, thank you Jesus. Serving was Martha’s way of worshiping the Christ.
You see, God has:
- No hands but ours,
- No feet but ours,
- No monetary resources, but what we are willing to give.
God works through His people, people who are willing to worship, honor and praise Jesus by serving others. Jesus let us know this is OK in Matthew 25, when He said, As often as you do it to the least of these you have served Me.
Paul tells the baptized believers in Romans chapter 8, Do not offer yourselves as instruments to Satan, but rather as instruments of righteousness to God... Become living sacrifices. Church, there is a way in which:
- All that we do,
- All that we say;
- All that we are,
Either worships and honors Jesus or Satan.
Paul told the Corinthian and Colossian churches, so whatever you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it ALL... ALL for, to the glory of God. This same Jesus maintained, you are either for Me or against Me, There is no neutral ground.
Listen to me church, people who see their religion only as a Sunday morning, Sunday night duty to worship are not serving Jesus. Christianity is a life to be lived seven day a week. Yes, praising, worshiping, honoring God as we are doing tonight is proper. Attention and attendance to Lord’s Day activities are important. But so is serving Him daily in ALL we do.
Jesus tells us that the greatest in the Kingdom, in the church will be the ones who serve. Service is a way of worship. Martha worshiped Jesus by her serving. Can we identify with Martha in this narrative?
LET’S LOOK AT LAZARUS.
What do you suppose Lazarus was doing with his life these days? If Jesus had brought you back from the grave, what would you be doing?
- I would imagine we would be following Jesus everywhere He went.
- Hanging on His every word.
- Doing all that He asked him to do.
I’ll bet Lazarus had his life priorities straight. He now knew what was important in life and what wasn’t. He knew that the power of life eternal was found only in Jesus. So, we find him close, at the side of his Lord and Master. But Randall, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead!
Now most of us here tonight have been raised from the dead... RIGHT? Resurrected from the New Testament baptism to walk a new life; made possible by this same Jesus. Are we found close to His side?
Folk, Lazarus was no longer caught up in:
- Money,
- Politics,
- Pleasure,
- Prestige,
What really mattered in his life was his personal relationship with Jesus. God make me more like Lazarus.
WELL, HOW ABOUT MARY?
Mary’s worship and honor of Jesus can be seen in three actions and attitudes in this narrative.
FIRST THE ANOINTMENT.
Our text says this ointment, this Nard was worth 300 denarii. That equals a year’s pay... A denarii was one day’s pay. Anybody here tonight willing to be a Mary...
- A years salary to Jesus?
- A years wages to missions?
- 52 week’s retirement benefits to the poor?
Most of us give a small amount of our money, time, talent... Mary emptied herself. She gave it all! Do these words, emptied herself sound familiar? Who, being in His very nature God, did not count being on an equality with God as something to be grasp. He emptied Himself, becoming nothing, taking on the nature of a servant.. Church, taking into account what Jesus has done for us, what is it that we should hold back? What is it, that is too expensive to give to Christ? You see, our idol today is not a golden calf, but is that which we will not give to Jesus, that which is more dear to us than the God who created us.
SECONDLY, THERE IS THE WIPING OF HIS FEET WITH HER HAIR.
Jewish women considered it a disgrace to let their hair down in public. Mary laid aside her pride, her honor, her prestige. She laid aside tradition in favor of honoring Jesus. Listen to me, Church:
- Christianity,
- Jesus,
- The Bible,
- God,
- The church
Are all;
- Bigger than tradition,
- Bigger than family pride,
- Bigger than education, etiquette, and political correctness.
God help us to mean it when we sing, “Jesus Is All The World To Me.”
THIRDLY, WE NOTE THAT MARY’S ACTION WAS SPONTANEOUS.
She seemed to have:
- No thought for self.
- No thought for the worth of the Nard.
- No thought for what others would think.
This was a spontaneous act of pure, unselfish love, unrestrained devotion.
Today, we count the cost of everything. We calculate the risk. We check the return percentages. We are concerned about how this will play in the eyes of others. Mary just did it! Folk, ours is to just do it:
- Preach the Word.
- Bear one another burdens,
- Give to the poor,
- Honor Jesus,
- Serve others.
Ours is to plant and water. The response, the increase, the results lie in God’s court not ours. Let me challenge you to be a Mary. Do you see something that needs to be done, that is right and scriptural to do... Then just do it!
WE MUST CONSIDER JUDAS.
Several things were wrong with Judas in this narrative. First, his MOTIVE was wrong. Judas had put a price on Jesus. Judas had become obsessed with materialism. Money was on his mind.. Money had taken priority in his thoughts. For Judas, the ministry of Jesus had been reduced to a business, and budget, rather than a Savior to be served, a God to be worshiped.
We must be careful here church. This is a contemporary issue. When our Elders present the ‘98 budget what will our response be?
- Will we see it as an opportunity to worship and serve by the use of our money?
- Or will we be thinking, how can we save money?
Folk, the church is not into saving money. A church budget is nothing more than a plan to spend God’s money, all of it. A church with an ever growing saving account is operating outside of scriptural authority. Church money is to be spent...
- Serving others,
- Preaching and teaching the word,
- Honoring Jesus.
The true church of Christ is a nonprofit organization. We are in the spending business, not saving. NO, I’m not preaching irresponsible stewardship. I am preaching that we:
- Proclaim,
- Honor,
- Serve, Jesus by using His money, not by placing it in a saving account.
Judas was SELFISH. He wanted the money himself. He felt it should be spent on Judas. We see this a lot in churches today. People want church budgets cut:
- In missions,
- In benevolence
- In evangelism and teaching, so that some money can be spent on programs that serve them.
There is nothing wrong with: a kitchen, new carpet on the floor, a fellowship hall, basketball courts... etc, etc, on church property, but not at the expense of mission work!
Judas had a PRIVATE AGENDA for the ministry. Private agendas in the church are bad, bad, bad!
- Preach the Word.
- Serve the Jesus in others.
- Do good to all men, especially those in the household of faith.
- Be God’s people and person.
- Love God with all the heart, mind, body, and soul.
BUT LEAVE THE DIRECTION OF THE CHURCH IN THE HANDS OF GOD.
When I set out to make the church more like what I want it to be:
- More liberal,
- More conservative,
- More distinctive,
- More attractive,
- More politically correct, I am stepping into the realm of God’s business. Be careful here, be careful here.
Judas thought that the ministry of Jesus was to be one of caring for the poor. It wasn’t!! ...Was it? The personal ministry of Jesus was the ultimate salvation, redemption of all mankind. No, there was nothing wrong with providing for the poor, Jesus wanted that done, but it wasn’t the reason He came. There are a lot of good ministries in our churches, but let us not forget the reason He came. I believe the New Testament to teach that ours is to:
- Honor,
- Praise,
- Serve
- And worship Jesus
And God will provide the agenda.
Church, think about this for a moment: If someone had taken Judas into their own hands and imprisoned him or even killed him. Who would have betrayed Jesus. Folk, God knows what He is doing. Again, ours is to worship and serve.... Let God providentially work His will in our world.
Judas was DIVISIVE.
As we read the other accounts where this narrative is found, we find that there arose an argument among those present as to what should have been done with this ointment. I take from this that some of the apostles ended up siding with Judas. Judas’ attitude and argument didn’t have the right kind of influence on the twelve. In fact it caused division. Politicking and pulling others into taking sides is what splits churches, ministries and destroys many good works. Let’s not be a Judas.
Where are you and your preacher tonight in this narrative? Have you found yourself in this Sunday night at Bethany?
I want you to look at verse 11.
Because of what happened and what Jesus taught, the results of a Sunday night in Bethany were varied:
- Some wanted to kill Jesus.
- Some put their faith in Him.
Which are we? Are we ready to crucify Him afresh, or are we ready to step out and be obedient to Him?
The invitation is yours, come to Jesus. Become a child of God by; faith, repentance and New Testament baptism; immersion in water for the forgiveness of your sins.
Will you come?
