[Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Lent 5C: “What Can I Give Him?” or “Holy Hair”

Sat Apr 6 22:50:32 EDT 2019

Forwarded: Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.
-------- Original message --------From: Judy <judy_boli at ecunet.org> Date: 06/04/2019  9:32 pm  (GMT-04:00) To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org> Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Lent 5C: “What Can I Give Him?” or “Holy Hair” 

Dear
Friends,

This
Sunday’s sermon is entitled “What Can I Give Him?” or “Holy Hair” and is based
on the gospel (John 12:1-11).  Here it
is:  

We just heard the episode of
Mary anointing the feet of Jesus with her hair. 
What can you tell about someone by their hair?  Do you remember the story I told you some
years ago about the teen-age boy and his hair? 
His father was a pastor, and he absolutely hated his son’s long hair,
but the young man had a fit every time anyone suggested he get it cut.  Well, this young man had just gotten his
driving permit. He asked his father, who was a pastor, if they could discuss
the use of the family car. His father took him to his study and said to him, “I'll
make a deal with you. You bring your grades up, study your Bible a little and
get your hair cut and we'll talk about it.” After about a month the boy came
back and again asked his father if they could discuss use of the car. They
again went to the father's study where his father said, “Son, I've been real
proud of you. You have brought your grades up, you've studied your Bible
diligently, but you didn't get your hair cut!” 
The young man waited a moment and replied, “You know Dad, I've really been
studying my Bible, and you know what I found out?  Samson had long hair.  Moses had long hair.  Noah had long hair.  Even Jesus had long hair....”  To which his father replied, “Yes, and they
walked everywhere they went!”

Yes!  Now back to Mary anointing Jesus’ feet with
her hair.  You’re familiar with how the
radio commentator Paul Harvey (died February 28, 2009) was known for telling
“the rest of the story.”  Well we just
heard “the rest of the story” of the raising of Lazarus.  Lazarus, Mary, and Martha were some of Jesus’
closest friends, and they lived in the little town of Bethany; which is about two miles east of Jerusalem.  As you recall, Mary and Martha sent a message
to Jesus to come and heal their brother Lazarus, who was near death.  Jesus waited three days before responding,
and finally told the disciples that Lazarus was dead, but they were going to Bethany to raise him
up.  The disciples weren’t all that happy
about going into the Jerusalem
area, since Jesus almost got killed the last time they were there.  Thomas finally said, “I’m going with Jesus
even if I have to die with him.”  By the
time they got to Jerusalem,
Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days- in fact Martha was hesitant about
rolling the stone away from his tomb because of the embarrassment of the
potential smell coming from her beloved brother’s dead body.  Remember how Jesus ordered, “Lazarus, come
forth!” and out he came.  Jesus final
words- “Unbind him and let him go free!” 
That’s the first part of the story- our Gospel lesson for today tells
the rest of the story.  After Martha and
Mary got over Lazarus’ being raised to life by Jesus, they threw a party to
celebrate.  Many people were there,
including Jesus and probably all the disciples, although we know for sure that
Judas was there.  While the men were
lounging around the dinner table (because that’s how people ate in those days),
Mary came up to Jesus.  She had with her
an expensive bottle of perfume (actually nard from the spikenard plant that
grows up in the Himalayan
 Mountains by India).  Even though women in that culture didn’t
touch the feet of any man except their husbands, Mary broke that bottle open
and poured the expensive perfume all over Jesus’ feet.  If that wasn’t outrageous enough, next Mary
unfastened her long hair (again something women of that culture only did with
their husbands) and massaged the perfume in his feet with her hair.  She was so very thankful to Jesus for giving
her brother new life and she believed Jesus when he said he himself was about
to die- she didn’t care about the money Judas accused her of wasting or
appropriate behavior of a woman toward a man. 
Just as St. Paul
said in today’s epistle, the same was true of Mary- they were garbage to
her.  All she cared about was ministering
to our Lord.  Judas was furious- he
wanted that money!  After all, Mary had
just poured out perfume that cost one year’s earnings.  It was nice to hear Jesus stand up for Mary
and point out that they’d have lots of time to help the poor, but his time was
limited and Mary had been the first to anoint him for his burial.  It’s interesting to note that when a dead
body was anointed, the feet were anointed first, usually with this same kind of
perfume.

That’s the rest of the story.  Now, what’s it to us?  Each person in this episode has something to
teach us.  Starting with Lazarus- Jesus
gave him new life, but to claim that life Lazarus had to get rid of all the
burial wraps and cloths- in other words- get rid of the junk.  Jesus offers us new life every morning when
we open our eyes, but we also need to do our part.  We need to get rid of everything that holds
us back.  What’s all the junk weighing
you down, holding you back, and confusing your life?  Bring it to the altar today and let Jesus
unbind you and let you go free as he did for Lazarus.

Next let’s look at
Martha.  There wouldn’t have been a party
without her, because her behind-the-scenes cooking and cleaning made it all
possible.  Do you have to get recognition
for everything you do, or are you willing to work quietly for the Lord to get
the job done?

We can learn the importance
of two basic values from Mary.  She put
Jesus first in her life and her priorities- over money, over what other people
would think, over even messing up her beautiful hair.  Get over of it; put Jesus first; and claim
life!  The other value we can imitate
from Mary is her willingness to sacrifice. 
Are you a “me first” person, selfish, considering only yourself?  If my hands are kept clenched tightly closed,
how is anybody going to give me anything? 
To receive God’s blessings, I’ve got to open my hands and my life, reach
out to others, and be blessed in return.

The last person in this
episode is Judas.  Did you notice how his
sin started small- he used to steal from the shared moneybag used by Jesus and
the disciples.  His sin grew until he was
so grasping that he was willing to sell his Lord for thirty pieces of
silver.  Get rid of your sin while it’s
still small- it’s so much easier.

So…

 Like Martha, may we do
     the work of the Kingdom unselfishly and without show;
 Like Mary, may we
     worship and love God with our whole selves; 
 As our Lord ordered
     Lazarus unbound and freed from the trappings of death, may God give us the
     compassion and skill to be co-workers with him to unbind and offer freedom
     in Christ to all we meet;
 Finally, unlike Judas,
     may we face up to our sins and ask for God’s forgiveness and healing.  May we not be like the teenager at the
     beginning of the sermon who made all the changes requested by his father-
     all but ONE.  May we bend to God’s
     will for our lives, even if it requires that we give up our pet sin.

Remember the poem (Christina
Rossetti) from ChristMass: 

“What can I give Him- poor
as I am?

If I were a shepherd, I
would give him a lamb.

If I were a wise man, I
would do my part.

What can I give Him?  I’ll give Him my heart.”

It’s not ChristMass, but it
surely is not too late.  Amen.

For anyone who is interested, this sermon and updated
African-American wisdom statements are posted on our parish’s web site under
“Sermons & Stuff”. The address is: http://www.stpaulsepisag.org
.

Blessed
preaching,

Judy
Boli

St.
Paul's Episcopal Church

Saginaw,
Michigan

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