What a Waste!

“After two days it was the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a treacherous way to arrest and kill Him. “Not during the festival,” they said, “or there may be rioting among the people.” While He was in Bethany at the house of Simon who had a serious skin disease, as He was reclining at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of pure and expensive fragrant oil of nard. She broke the jar and poured it on His head. But some were expressing indignation to one another: “Why has this fragrant oil been wasted? For this oil might have been sold for more than 300 denarii and given to the poor.” And they began to scold her. Then Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a noble thing for Me. You always have the poor with you, and you can do what is good for them whenever you want, but you do not always have Me. She has done what she could; she has anointed My body in advance for burial. I assure you: Wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told in memory of her.” Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to hand Him over to them. And when they heard this, they were glad and promised to give him silver. So he started looking for a good opportunity to betray Him.” (Mark 14:1-11 HCSB)

One of my mother’s “rules” in our house when I was a kid was, don’t be wasteful. While we lived a comfortable life, money was not something that we had in abundance. Like many, we lived with the knowledge that what we had was enough but there was never an abundance. I can remember that she ALWAYS had a plan and purpose for leftovers. Monday evening’s dinner was often the leftovers from Sunday’s after-church lunch. She was very skilled at taking leftovers and transforming them into another meal for her family. As a result, I knew that being wasteful was something that would never be tolerated.

Today, I am still impacted by my mother’s frugalness. Leftovers often become my lunch on the following day or days. I watch for bargains when I shop and I must force myself to get rid of things that are no longer needed or no longer useful. I fear that I could easily become a hoarder. In fact, my wife often confronts my “hoarding” tendencies and throws out things that are “out of date”, even as I argue with her about whether they can and should be kept. I often tell her that expiration dates are just “required” by federal law and some items never expire or go out of date – like honey, mustard, or pickles. In my world, those items last forever.

How do you deal with waste? Do you recycle? My wife and I live in a rural area and do not have any options for recycling glass and plastic. We dislike that but have yet to find a good and reasonable alternative. In this week’s focal passage, Mark takes two stories and, in characteristic Mark fashion, ties or sandwiches them together with one that contrasts an interesting view on being wasteful and, I think, brings clarity to the two stories and our understanding of them.

What is not typical in this story is the way Mark introduces it:

“After two days it was the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.” While that may not seem unusual to you, Mark rarely gives an indication of specific dates in his story. However, here he tells us that it was two days before the Passover and the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This occurs on the 14th and 15th of the Jewish month of Nisan which coincides with March/April on our calendar. Some scholars believe that Mark is using an older source and citing it from here onward based on the language and style which differs from earlier chapters. This would not be surprising and it is clear that Paul does something similar when he relates facts regarding the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus in 1 Corinthians 15 (specifically 1 Cor. 15:3-5).

Notice, the chief priests and scribes are looking for a treacherous or stealthy way to arrest and kill Jesus. Not only were they being underhanded in their efforts, but they were also trying to stay out of sight of the “crowds” for fear of inciting a riot in response to their actions. It would seem, based on Mark’s words – not during the festival, they did NOT intend for the arrest, trial and crucifixion to occur so quickly. This wasn’t about what they intended to do but it was ALL about what God was doing.

That’s really hard for us to understand. God intended for Jesus to suffer and die a humiliating death? Why would God plan such an ending to the life of Jesus? If Jesus truly is His Son, then why choose to take this path? What a waste! Surely there’s a better way, a less painful and humiliating way to achieve God’s purpose. Apparently not… (go read, Isaiah 53) These men were trying to respond to God’s plan by concocting secret plans, but God was not doing any of this secretly. God’s plan would play out in such a way that all mankind would see and be required to respond in a very public way.

While these men planned a stealthy and treacherous way to get rid of Jesus quietly, He was seated in the house of Simon (the leper) at a very public meal held in His honor. The name Simon is the most common name in use at this time, so Mark tells us that Simon had been a leper as a means of identifying the specific host and location in Bethany where the meal was being held. Some scholars believe that Simon may have been the father of Lazarus, Mary and Martha based on information in John’s version of the story. Also, while it is not specifically mentioned, I believe we can safely assume that Simon was the recipient of one of Jesus’ healing miracles. Thus, the reason for the meal and the place of honor being given to Jesus.

As the meal progressed, a woman brings an alabaster jar of pure and very expensive nard, breaks the neck of the jar and pours it on Jesus’ head. While Mark keeps her identity private, John tells us that this woman was Mary (John 13). As the oil runs down over Jesus’ head and onto his clothing and body, Mary wipes His feet with her hair. While the chief priests and scribes plot a way of arresting, convicting and killing Jesus in a private way, God has no intention of hiding what He’s planning to do. The aroma of the spikenard would have flooded the room and even those who were engaged in hushed, private conversations would have stopped to see what was happening. There’s no avoiding the situation. Mary’s actions and God’s intentions are laser focused on Jesus!

Ah, but some people expressed indignation to each other over this extravagant waste. “Why? What has this fragrant oil been wasted? It could have been sold for more than 300 denarii (a month’s wages) and given to the poor!” So, they began scolding her for her actions. Her extravagant gift had been wasted! What a waste. There were better things we could do with that money than to waste it like that. Let me state this very clearly, very precisely and very intentionally:

An act of worship is NEVER wasteful!

The very meaning of worship demands this conclusion and attitude in our lives. To worship is to ascribe to God, who is the only object worthy of worship, His worth and value in our lives. Worship is “worth ship.” What is God worth? EVERYTHING! For Mary He was worthy of her most prized possession, the alabaster jar filled with nard oil. It is possible, and perhaps likely, this jar of expensive oil had been given to Mary as an inheritance or family heirloom. Maybe it was supposed to be a portion of her dowry when she wed. Whatever its intended purpose, she chose to give it all to Jesus in a public display of extravagant love. She chose to act in that moment by pouring out her life in worship of Him.

I love the old hymn, When I Survey the Wondrous Cross. It was written by Isaac Watts in 1707 as a part of a communion service. Consider his words: When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died, My richest gain I count but loss and pour contempt on all my pride. Forbid it Lord that I should boast, save in the death of Christ, my God. All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to His blood. See from His head, His hands, His feet sorrow and love flow mingled down. Did e’re such love and sorrow meet, or thorns compose so rich a crown? Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were a present (offering) far too small. Love so amazing, so divine demands my soul, my life, my all.

Jesus immediately comes to Mary’s defense in the face of their scolding and criticisms. He says, “Leave her alone, she has done a noble thing for Me. You always have the poor with you, and you can do what is good for them whenever you want, but you do not always have Me. She has done what she could; she has anointed My body in advance for burial.” Her worship is timely, appropriate and will serve as a memorial for what she has done wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world.

Many misunderstand Jesus’ words in this passage. Her detractors try to make this about having more money to feed the poor and call her extravagance a waste. Jesus does NOT discount the need to feed the poor but feeding the poor is no substitute for proper and timely worship of God. Jesus says, you always have the poor, but you do NOT always have Me. John tells us that Judas was the one most upset about her extravagance, but that was because he pilfered money from their common funds. In other words, this wasn’t really about the poor, but it was about Judas’ selfishness and greed.

While Mark doesn’t attribute this objection and subsequent scolding of Mary’s actions directly to Judas, you need to notice that he intentionally sandwiches this story between the desire of the chief priests and scribes to arrest and kill Jesus and Judas decision to betray Jesus to them. As such, he seems to side with John as to Judas’ motive for his betrayal.

With that thought in mind, I want to draw your attention back to the idea of extravagant waste. Why would Judas betray Jesus to the chief priests and scribes? Why would he turn his back on everything Jesus had taught and demonstrated? Why would one of the twelve give himself over to this evil intent and forever link his name to the ultimate act of betrayal? Perhaps for the very same reason he saw Mary’s extravagant gift as being wasteful. He had a shortsighted view of God’s plan of redemption and Jesus’ purpose.

Let me ask you a question, did Judas lose faith in Jesus as the promised Messiah, the Son of God? Did he suddenly realize that Jesus wasn’t who He claimed to be and that the last three years had all been an elaborate ruse? Had he realized that the miracles were just faked, hyped up displays of emotions and human hope with no real substance and display of power? Is that ultimately why he betrayed Jesus to the authorities? Had he been disillusioned and deceived and was suddenly confronted with reality and could no longer remain a true believer, a disciple of Jesus?

I don’t think so… here’s why. I think Mark is telling us, through the inspiration of God’s Holy Spirit, exactly what was going on in the mind, heart and life of Judas Iscariot. We’ve seen this same thing before, though you may have forgotten. When Jesus asked these same disciples who the crowd thought He was, they responded by telling Him that the people thought He was John the Baptizer, Elijah or a prophet of God. Then He asks them, “But who do YOU say that I am?” Peter responds, “You are the Messiah!” Jesus immediately begins to teach them that He must suffer many things, be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and scribes, be killed and then rise after three days (see Mark 8:27-33). He was openly talking about this, so Peter takes Him aside and rebukes Him. Then Jesus turned, looked at the disciples and rebuked Peter: “Get behind Me, Satan. You’re not thinking about God’s concerns, but man’s.”

I don’t think Judas lost faith in who Jesus was, I think He lost sight of the kind of Messiah God wanted. Jesus has been telling the disciples throughout Mark’s gospel that God isn’t doing things the way they want or expect. I think that’s really what Judas was unwilling to accept. I think he wanted to try and force Jesus’ hand, reasoning that it would put Jesus on track to being the Messiah all of Israel anticipated and wanted. Judas didn’t want the extravagant gift from Mary wasted because he was focused more on himself than on God and His will.

Aren’t we all?

Isn’t that really the very essence of sin? When God should be our focus and receive our worship, we want things focused on ourselves. Mary’s gift was only a waste if Judas thought it could bring focus upon himself and his position. Judas doesn’t betray Jesus because Jesus accepted and lauded Mary’s gift. Judas betrayed Jesus because he realized Jesus was insistent on being a Messiah who sacrificed Himself for His sheep. What a waste of a good Messiah. Judas didn’t want a lamb led off to the slaughter, he wanted a lion who would destroy Rome. Maybe if Judas betrays Jesus, the meek, lamb-like Messiah, to the authorities then maybe the lion would emerge. Then none of this would have been wasted.

You know what’s really sad? Many today feel that same way about Jesus. What a waste. He was such a good teacher! He only wanted us to learn to love each other. What’s the point in Him dying? What a waste. That wasn’t really necessary, was it? All that blood, gore and violence. What good did it accomplish?

Well, that’s for you to decide. Yes, it is a matter of faith. I can give you the facts, but it still takes a step of faith to believe in WHO He is and WHAT He came to do. I hope His sacrifice won’t be a waste in your life…