Psalm 69 Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. 2 I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me. 3 I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God. 4 Those who hate me without reason outnumber the hairs of my head; many are my enemies without cause, those who seek to destroy me. I am forced to restore what I did not steal. 8 I am a foreigner to my own family, a stranger to my own mother’s children; 9 for zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult you fall on me. 10 When I weep and fast, I must endure scorn; 14 Rescue me from the mire, do not let me sink; deliver me from those who hate me, from the deep waters. They gave me vinegar for my thirst. 29 But as for me, afflicted and in pain—may your salvation, God, protect me. 30 I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. 32 The poor will see and be glad— you who seek God, may your
hearts live! 33 The Lord hears the needy and does not despise his captive people. 34 Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and all that move in them.
The Old Testament Reading for today talks about the Servant of God and is written in Isaiah 50, verses 4-9: 4 The Sovereign LORD has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed. 5 The Sovereign LORD has opened my ears; I have not been rebellious, I have not turned away. 6 I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting. 7 Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame. 8 He who vindicates me is near. Who then will bring charges against me? Let us face each other! Who is my accuser? Let him confront me! 9 It is the Sovereign LORD who helps me. Who will condemn me?
Today is Palm Sunday. We are beginning the week leading up to the suffering of Jesus on the cross. We are hearing the recollection of how Jesus was riding on a donkey while entering the city of Jerusalem with the masses hailing him. I am reading from the Gospel of John chapter 12, the verses 12-19: The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!" "Blessed is the king of Israel!" 14Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written: 15"Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey's colt." 16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him. 17 Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. 18 Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, "See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!"
Sermon Text: Mark 14:1-11 Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. “But not during the festival,” they said, “or the people may riot.”
While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.
Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.
“Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”
Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. When they heard it, they were greatly pleased, and promised to give him money. So he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.
Sermon Mark 14,1-11: Dear Congregation, dear friends, in these days many families are sitting together in their homes. The reports about the Corona Virus are all around us, and we hear about more than 1000 deaths in the US in one day because of it. More than 1000 beloved family members who will forever be grieved and forever be missed. How are we as society prepare for the darkness that is coming towards us? The fear of death seems to be the hardest I heard in many conversations during the past days, even for us Christians. How do we prepare? What counts in these days? What is really important? What suddenly is no longer that important? This is how Jesus might have felt as well. The preparations of what was about to come. He might have felt: The end of his mission was drawing near. At least the part of his work here on earth. Darkness was assembling. Behind the scenes the people in power were planning the end. Behind the back the betrayal by his own friends is happening. Money as usual plays a big role in it, and political tactics where human life is being handled like poker cards. Hidden games. And the ending of Jesus’s life is already a planned fact, dark powers are joining forces. And then in the midst of all of this, there is this woman. She too is preparing the end, maybe unconsciously. Her intuition led by inner love makes her do something that to outside observers looks like a senseless waste. The disciples who are closest to Jesus are protesting, try to scold the woman, and think that they know better: „Moral be the human, helpful and good“ that is their motto. They admonish the woman she should rather donate to the poor and to the needy, and most of
all she should act reasonable, rational and efficient. What this woman is doing is infuriating, a senseless waste of resources, and this is what they accuse her of. Who by the way is this woman? Mark does not say anything about this, he only focuses on what she did. But the Gospel of John is telling us her name: Mary! The same Mary that decided to sit at Jesus’s feet, while her sister Mary was worrying about the preparation of food by herself. And the disciples surely remember how the sister then came, stood in front of both of them and told Jesus clearly that this was not OK. Don’t you care at all that my sister abandoned me and lets me work all by myself? Tell her at least that she should give me a hand and help me! The disciples in today’s story are also complaining about her, when Jesus interrupts them and takes once again Mary’s side, just as back then when he said: „Mary has chosen the good, the better part for herself, nobody should take that from her.” Mary was apparently a „repeat offender“, and this time Jesus says once again: „Leave her alone, why do you make it so difficult for her? She has done a beautiful thing for me!“ and “truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her." Mary was a repeat offender, a repeat offender of love, and with that she does not seem to fit into this world, not even into the religious or pious world. Yet she does exactly that what this world needs the most and what Jesus values the highest. Let’s look one more time at this story with the headline: „What true love is capable of“. Love is incapable of calculating; love is bad in math. The disciples however, are pretty good at it, especially Judas. John
in his version of this story reports how it was Judas who immediately started to calculate: Rational calculation and the betrayal of innocent people can sometimes come very close to each other; we can see that every day on the News these days. And so, Judas calculates: For more than 300 denars, we could have sold the oil and could have given the gain of course to the poor. This oil was worth more than the annual salary of a worker! It came in a small bottle with very costly pure nard oil. The bottle had the shape of a small bag, without a handle or a stand. One had to break the top of the bottle open. And then the aroma of the oil would be thus strong that it would fill the whole house. I don’t think any of us has an anointing oil at their home that is worth 20,000 Dollars. And yet, it is such a costly bottle that Mary takes, breaks, and pours the oil over Jesus’s head. Crazy? Jesus in any case allows her to do this. Jesus was able to receive love and to give love. We probably would have some difficulties with that – and that probably has a deeper reason: “Only who can receive abundant love can also love abundantly.” We rather like to calculate: If this person is giving me this much, then I will need to match it, and I will need to return that much back to him or her. It often feels uncomfortable for us to accept the love and care of others, just like that. And the objections of the disciples? Jesus does not reject their sense of standing up for social justice, quite contrary he says: “The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want.” Jesus knows and agrees that poverty is not according to God’s will and he agrees that when something is not right, then we should do something about it. And yet with this second part of the sentence „if you want, you can help the poor anytime“, Jesus gives the disciples an
opportunity to double check their deepest motivation of why they are really criticizing Mary: „Is this really about the poor, or are they more so talking and scolding because they feel – maybe unconsciously – questioned by Mary’s way of loving?” Love is not capable of calculating, but it gives of itself completely, it gives the very best that one has. In this context I want to share a similar story with you. Maybe you already have heard it before: In a small room above a bakery in London lives the young couple James and Anna. The two of them just managed with what both of them were earning, and yet, they did not miss anything, as they had each other. One year when the Easter celebration was coming closer, they both had the desire to be able to afford to give the other a gift. But for that, by God, their salary was surely not enough. And yet Anna knew exactly what she wanted to give to James: she had seen it at the Pawn store: There was a beautifully sparkling golden watch chain in the display that would fit just beautifully with James’s pocket watch – the only inheritance his father had left him. How much she wished she could give this chain to James. How proudly he would be able to pull his watch out of his pocket. He would never again have to worry about losing it. And yet, there was no way, her money would not be enough for the golden chain. In the same display, only a few inches to the right there was a decorative comb made of ivory wood, beautifully carved. And if that was not enough, it had six small stones on top that sparkled like stars. James so very much wanted to surprise Anna with this comb. It would be the perfect crowning for her long hair. And yet, James did not have the money to buy the
comb. His job as a legal aid was not well paid and life in London was expensive. When the Easter morning arrived, Anna excitedly gave James a small package. After a few moments of being speechless, James said: “You bought me a golden chain for my pocket watch!” And then he gave her also a small package. And when she opened it, she found the beautiful comb for her long hair. When she saw it, some big tears dripped on the ivory. She then removed her hat, and her long hair was no longer there. „I brought my watch to the pawn broker so that I could give you the comb as a gift“, James said and a smile began to sneak into his voice. “But you can’t wear it anymore, because you have sold your hair?” Anna nodded with tears. “So that you have the money for the golden chain for my watch?” James smiled. And when their eyes met, they both started laughing. They laughed so long until their stomachs hurt and they were exhausted from laughing. They then embraced each other. They stood as if they never wanted to let go of each other. Both had given their most valuable possession to give the other a gift. And this made them at that moment not only the happiest, but also the richest persons in all of London. What true love is capable of… --------------------------------------------------Mary in our biblical story did know more than the disciples back then, in those intensive times of preparation. She had listened to Jesus for three full years. She felt that God had in Jesus given his best, his most costly, his son. And so, Mary also gave the best she had, her expensive oil. It is this love that breaks open the thick layers around our human heart and we become able to give the costliest we have: we become able to give ourselves.
Loving and giving the best of ourselves do not just happen in our thoughts, but it involves all of us and the whole of us. --------------------------And so, we might feel in these days and weeks similar to how Mary and the disciples felt when darkness began to rise around them. We see it more clearly every day and we know less every day what will become, what will happen. All calculations and all estimates suddenly become speculations. What is most important right now? My daughter thanked God last night in her prayer that we as family are spending more time together during these weeks and that we have bonded more. She thanked God that we do not take each other for granted, but that we care about each other and about other people. What true love is capable of‌ We hear in these days also more often about those Maries, who also exist as male versions. Persons who show what love is capable of: The ability to give freely instead of calculate. Many nurses, doctors, policemen and women, scientists, politician, journalists, parents and grandparents are giving their last to share with others their care and protection. Some of them have even become sick themselves and some of them have paid their ability to love in this way even with the ultimate, with their own life. And so even after nearly 2000 years, just as Jesus had predicted, we still share about the love that Mary has shown. Just like we did today. We talked about Jesus and about her in order to honor them.
And so, we will, today in the year 2020, also remember and continue to tell the loving acts of Mary’s followers. This love is able where calculation finds itself at a loss. This love is capable where fear and self-righteousness are paralyzing. This kind of love that Mary and Jesus lived, is what matters most right now! Amen
Gracious God, Creator and Sustainer of this, our World, Feelings of Insecurity and Fear are filling our hearts these days. We are feeling worries. We worry about our loved ones We entrust them into your loving care. We pray together: Protect them and keep them safe.
We are worried about our living together in this our country. We are worried looking towards what is yet to come. We feel helpless. The Corona Virus is threatening the already weak. We entrust our children to your care. We pray together: Protect them and keep them safe.
We pray for all who are dying. Protect them and show love and mercy towards them. We pray for those whose lives have been turned upside down,
families without an income, families without the necessities they need. We pray together: Protect them and keep them safe.
We thank you for all who work in hospitals, in grocery stores, doctor offices and in laboratories. We thank you for all who care for the sick, For those in quarantine And who care for the wellbeing of all. We pray together: Protect them and keep them safe.
We pray for the leaders of all countries, all states and large cities. Give them wisdom as they listen to the scientists. Protect and guide them.
You are our help and our strength. Protect us and keep us safe, Have mercy on us, your beloved humanity. Amen We are now praying the Lord’s Prayer together: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sinned against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen