[Dailydevo] Daily Devotion Monday April 2, 2007

[Barry Ludwig]

Monday - April 2, 2007

During this holiest week of the church year, we shall be looking at the
Gospel text for that day assigned by the historic lectionary (Scripture
readings) cycle of the church. May you use a moment each day to prepare for
the remembering of what Christ has done for you.

 

John 12: 1-11 (NRSV)

Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the  home of Lazarus,
whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha
served, and Lazarus  was one of those at the table with him. Mary took a
pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed  Jesus' feet, and wiped
them with her hair. The house was  filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was  about to betray
him), said, "Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii  and
the money given to the poor?" (He said this not because he cared about the
poor, but because  he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to
steal  what was put into it.) Jesus said, "Leave her alone. She bought it so
that she  might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor
with you, but you do not always  have me." When the great crowd of the Jews
learned that he was there,  they came not only because of Jesus but also to
see Lazarus,  whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests planned
to put Lazarus to death as  well, since it was on account of him that many
of the Jews were  deserting and were believing in Jesus.

 

Some years ago I met with a couple struggling with parenting issues. Each
claimed that the other was being too extravagant with their son. She accused
him of buying every toy the little boy asked for while he accused her of
spending too much time with their boy. Both were indeed extravagant toward
their son but in different ways. If you were to choose one extravagance over
the other as healthy which might it be?

 

Extravagant love characterizes both Jesus, Mary and Lazarus in this event.
Jesus loves us so much that he is preparing to pour out his life for the
redemption of humanity. Mary loves Jesus so much that she pours out the
equivalent of one year's wages upon Jesus' feet as a gesture of honor.
Lazarus risks his life to publicly bear witness to the Jesus who gave him
life again.

That is both the theme and the call of Holy Week - extravagant love. Once
again we will watch Jesus move ever closer to Good Friday and we will once
again witness God's extravagant love for us. What will be our response?  Let
it be holy.let it be extravagant!

 

Pastor Barry

 

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