Lent 5
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook, SERIES II
for use with Common, Lutheran, and Roman Catholic Lectionaries
Comments on the Lessons
There is consensus on the Isaiah reading, which recalls God's promise to restore his people from Babylon. There is also consensus on the Philippians reading, which is Paul's statement of his goal in life - righteousness through faith in Christ and the resurrection from the dead. The John 12 passage was chosen because it prefigures the passion and describes the involvement of the women. The Luke 20:9-19 reading is the parable of the vineyard, which the scribes and chief priests perceived was a parable against them. In John 8:1-11 we have the account of the woman caught in adultery.
Commentary
Isaiah 43:16-21
Notice that in verses 16-17 we find allusions to the passage through the Red Sea: a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, chariot, horse, army and warrior who lie down and cannot rise. The new thing foretold in verse 19 is the return of Israel to Palestine from exile. The way in the wilderness of verse 19 was also a part of the Exodus story. God provided water in the wilderness, and now he will provide it for wild beasts as well as people.
This passage should be regarded as a "proclamation of salvation," in the same literary category as Isaiah 41:17-20 and 42:14-17. In such a proclamation of salvation there are three divisions: (1) reference to a lament, either individual or community; (2) proclamation of salvation which involves God's turning, and God's intervention; (3) the end in view.
1. The lament. It appears that verse 16b and verse 17 are the community lament in which there is a review of God's former acts of salvation. In other community laments we find a mention of the deliverance at the Red Sea. In verse 18 the author says "Remember not ..." in which he does not mean to merely forget God's original act of deliverance, but as in other laments there is a contrast between his present attitude toward his chosen people and the great thing he did for them earlier. Here Isaiah is not saying that the old tradition of deliverance in the Exodus is not to be recalled and honored, but rather that they should stop looking mournfully back and stop clinging to the past, but instead turn toward the future in which God is about to do a new thing!
2. Proclamation of salvation. This new thing which God is about to do is something Israel had ceased to expect, or hope for, much less believe in. She thought God had ceased his saving acts. But what is now promised is a new thing, which means it will appear shortly and Israel will perceive it, will know it. God will take an entirely new approach toward doing the new thing, in contrast to the deliverance in the Exodus: (1) but although this is an entirely new way of doing this, it is the same God who becomes the deliverer and liberator of his chosen people, and (2) this new deliverance is given effect to - and becomes reality by - a new journey through the wilderness, during which the wilderness will be miraculously transformed.
3. The end in view. The proclamation of salvation achieves its goal by means of a look forward at
the result which this new Exodus will have: "that they might declare my praise." (v. 21) This is not a final act, just as the first Exodus was not a final act, but God will go on dealing with this chosen nation. This deliverance is not a condition of final salvation; rather, the praise which tells of God's actions is offered in history. There are peoples who still need to be told of God's miraculous acts.
Philippians 3:8-14
This passage is part of a larger section, verses 4-16, which is Paul's reflection on his own life. The preacher should read the whole section to get the background for this pericope. Earlier Paul has reviewed his strict Pharisee background with impeccable credentials regarding the Jewish law. But he counts all this as loss because of the far greater worth of knowing Jesus Christ his Lord. (v. 8) While Paul had been blameless so far as the external requirements of the law are concerned, now he has received the righteousness of God as a free gift, one which depends only upon a person's willingness to receive it.
In verses 10-11 Paul aspires to know Christ and the power of his resurrection so that he might attain the resurrection from the dead. In fact, to know Christ as risen and living is to have power to suffer like him, and for him, and to have a certain hope of rising and living with him in the age to come.
Be aware of the use of "count" twice in verse 8. Both phrases in which it is used make the same point: he counts all the former things as loss or trash or garbage ("refuse" in RSV is not strong enough). There has been a revolution in values in Paul's life, due to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus as Lord. All efforts at earning salvation through good works or moral behavior is just so much garbage in light of knowing Christ. After his conversion on the road to Damascus, Paul underwent a "values clarification" in which he found former things to be worthless, and the gift of righteousness through Christ to be of supreme worth.
Because of his saving knowledge of Christ Paul has turned his back on literal circumcision as a significant rite, and asserts that it is he (Paul) who has been found in Christ, not his opponents. According to Paul, being found in Christ means two things which come together here:
1. a legal meaning: human beings are declared to be in right relationship with God because of their trust in Christ
2. a mystical meaning: the believer is in Christ and Christ is in the believer. Earlier this writer commented on hearing Karl Barth say that this is the only valid mysticism in the Christian faith. To be "in Christ" means two things for Paul: (a) standing before God on the basis of faith which is given only because of a faith-trust relationship; (b) participative knowing of Christ through knowing the power of his resurrection and having a partnership in his suffering. To be a partner in Christ's sufferings means that one has one's existence shaped by Christ's death, in order to know his resurrection. "No cross, no crown" is a pithy way of putting it.
Righteousness is a key word in this passage and is the basic theme of Romans 1-8. Paul uses the word to mean, not goodness, but rectitude - right relationship with God. God bestows this righteousness as a gift in contrast to the righteousness humans try to achieve by obedience. Faith is the substitute for the great effort to meet the demands of the law. Paul declares that this kind of righteousness comes not through religious rites and human efforts but through trusting in the resurrection of Christ.
In this life the resurrection is not a possession but a promise, as verse 11 indicates. Paul's one object now is to obtain the full resurrection. Here Paul uses a compound word to denote not just the inward resurrection which Christians know in this life but also the ultimate rising from the dead in the General Resurrection.
In verses 12-16 Paul describes the Christian life as a process and develops the tension, between having now and not yet having that which is in the future. The present life is one of struggle and striving and hoping. Paul knows how little he has achieved and admits he is not perfect or whole. But he presses on to make it his own. The most significant phrase here is "am already perfect" which literally means in the Greek: "have already been perfected." It seems Paul's opponents used the term "perfection" as a slogan and it was an important word in some Greco-Roman religions, especially in the gnostic teachings. Paul asserts that perfection is not something one has here and now, but is rather something which belongs to the future.
Process theology has developed even further the theme which Paul mentions here, that life is in process and is not static. He says his life consists of straining forward, pressing on toward the goal which is a prize still ahead. This prize is "the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (v. 14) The New English Bible translates this "God's call to life above." This gives it the thrust of a call into eternal life, realized only at death as the NEB suggests. Paul's gnostic opponents claimed they had already heeded the "call," which was a favorite gnostic expression. But Paul says it is still out in front of him and he is still pressing toward it.
Notice how cleverly Paul takes the slogans of his opponents and throws them back at them with a new meaning, in order to deny them their point. There is a "perfectionism" strain in Christian tradition, continuing into the present. It claims to have arrived at a "sinless" state of living. But Paul declares there is always a height not yet attained. He found this to be true in his own life, and believes it to be true in the Christian life in general.
John 12:1-8 (C)
John's account of the anointing of Jesus is dated six days before Passover, in contrast to Mark's account which appears to be set two days before Passover. There are parallels to this account in Mark 14:3-9, Matthew 26:6-13, and Luke 7:36-50. Attempts to reconcile them are dealt with in critical commentaries by Raymond Brown and other scholars. That question is beyond the scope of this Workbook.
Jesus goes to a supper in Bethany knowing full well that there is a plot against his life (1 1:53, 57) Remember that Bethany was only two miles from Jerusalem, where the plot was being laid against him. Lazarus is a guest there, in the home of Mary and Martha his sisters. In spite of the opposition to Jesus, large crowds had gathered, drawn by the possibility of seeing Lazarus (whom Jesus had raised from the dead, 11:1-57). Thus this sign of Jesus had its usual effect: "... many believed in his name when they saw the signs which he did." (2:23)
In Luke's account the supper and anointing take place in the home of a Pharisee. There we are told that the woman who anointed Jesus is a sinner. But John identifies her as Mary. The ointment used cannot be identified for certain. Nard, also known as spikenard, is the fragrant oil from the root and spike of the nard plant which thrives in the mountains of northern India. Some think it was myrrh made from the resin of a balsam tree and used in incense, cosmetics, medicines and for burial purposes. John uses a generic term which means perfume in a general sense, not myrrh.
Mary anointed Jesus' feet with the costly ointment and wiped them with her hair. It may be that the phrase "and the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment" (v. 3) is a symbolic equal to the words of Jesus in Mark 14:9: "And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her." Care for the poor and care for the dead, both of which were emphasized in Jewish life, are contrasted here, although both are considered good works in Judaism.
The complaint here is by Judas Iscariot only, who is identified as one of the disciples, and the one who is to betray Jesus. In other places Judas is identified as the son of Simon.
Judas' reaction to the anointing is an indication of his defection. Judas says the ointment could have been sold for three hundred denarii (one denarii was a day's wage for a laborer) and given to the poor. The money box referred to was originally a case for musical reeds but came to mean a box or coffer as used here.
Jesus replied to Judas' criticism: "Let her alone, let her keep it for the day of my burial. The poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me." (vv. 7-8) Mary has offered this expensive gift to Jesus in gratitude for the raising of her brother Lazarus, without thinking of its cost. Love doesn't stop to count the cost! The idea is not that Mary is going to keep the perfume for some future use but that she was keeping it until this moment in order to embalm Jesus. "She has kept" may be the best translation. Jesus forsees his death, and the anointing is the last rite in preparation for burial. In verse 8 Jesus is saying that such spontaneous love, which gives without calculating the cost, will not neglect the poor either.
An important addition which Mark has to the reply of Jesus is: "For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you will, you can do good to them, but you will not always have me." (Mark 14:7) The hearers of John's account should be reminded of this addition in Mark, since it has become all too easy for folks to dismiss helping the poor by quoting Jesus' saying that "you always have the poor with you" but failing to add and whenever you will you can do good to them.
John may have seen this anointing as symbolic of anointing Jesus for the office of king of Israel. John has Jesus enter Jerusalem, the capital, as the anointed king.
Luke 20:9-19 (L)
While verses 9-12 may have been part of a true parable, the additional materials seem to make the whole an allegory. This allegory reflects the theology of the early church, out of which Luke's Gospel came. Taking it as an allegory, we discover the following relationships:
+ The owner of the vineyard is God
+ The vineyard is Israel (Isaiah 5:1ff)
+ The tenants are the Jewish leaders
+ The servants are the the prophets of the Old Testament period
+ The "beloved son" is Jesus Christ
+ The murder of the beloved son, the heir, is Jesus' crucifixion
+ The dispossession and destruction of the wicked tenants are God's plan of history
+ The new tenants are most likely the apostles, and this points to the coming Gentile domination over the land of Israel
It seems Luke has altered the order from Mark's account, so that the heir is killed outside the vineyard, just as Jesus was crucified outside Jerusalem.
In verse 19 we see that the scribes and Pharisees were enraged by the allegory since they perceived it was told against them, but they feared the people and so did not lay hands on Jesus. But verse 20 says they sent spies to listen to Jesus to report him to the governor while appearing to be sincere.
John 8:1-11 (RC)
This account of the woman taken in adultery is omitted from many ancient manuscripts but seems to be an authentic incident in Jesus' ministry, although it was not part of John's original Gospel. It is omitted by the earliest church fathers. The MSS which contain this incident do not place it here. Some even put it after Luke 21 :38. The story appears to be ancient. It is called a piece of the "floating tradition" that was inserted later. The vocabulary is not Johannine, and several words more characteristic of Luke are used.
According to Old Testament law, in the case of adultery both guilty parties are to be put to death. Deuteronomy 22:23-24 calls for stoning in the special case of adultery when the woman is a virgin betrothed to another man. Jesus' opponents seem to be setting Jesus up in this incident so they can charge him with either illegally inciting others to kill the woman, or else condoning a heinous sin which would discredit Jesus in the eyes of religious people.
The verse 7 reference is to a procedure from Old Testament times: "The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death." (Deuteronomy 17:7) The phrase "who is without sin" recalls Matthew 7:1: "Judge not, that you be not judged." But verse 7 also brings to mind the new law of Jesus: "You have heard that it was said 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matthew 5:28)
Jesus' refusal to condemn does not mean that he excuses adultery. There are two Greek words which may be translated condemn: one means to give the verdict; the other means to pass sentence. It is the latter which is used in these verses. While Jesus did not endorse the harsh sentence of death by stoning which her accusers wanted to execute, he told her to "go, and do not sin again." While Jesus' direction is a general one, the adulterous love affair is the sin meant.
The woman was a married woman, since adultery according to the Law was concerned with unfaithfulness on the part of the wife who was considered property of her husband. Affairs between husbands and unmarried women were not considered adultery.
When Jesus asks the woman where her accusers are he seems to be expressing either surprise or gentle sarcasm. The witnesses and accusers left, and so the case fell to pieces.
As to Jesus' writing in the sand, we don't know what he wrote. If this had been more important, surely the teller of the story would have reported the content. Jesus may have been simply doodling on the ground as Semites did when distraught.
This story expresses both the mercy of Jesus in forgiving the sinner and the justice of Jesus in not condoning the sin. Consider the moment when the woman taken in adultery stands confronted by the sinless Jesus who tells her he does not pass judgment on her, and who directs her to go and not sin again. The story captures both the expression of mercy so common in Luke's Gospel, and the role of Jesus as the serene judge as John pictures him.
Mark well, however, that Jesus is not saying that every judge must be sinless in order to judge others, a principle which would eliminate a justice system. Jesus here is dealing with zealots who have taken it upon themselves to enforce the Law as a way of entrapping him. The husband of the woman may even have arranged to have her caught by arranging for witnesses to be there, instead of trying to win her back with love. So the base motives of the judges, husband and witnesses are not according to the Law and Jesus is right in challenging their attempt to secure her conviction and execution. But we cannot take this instance as a general norm forbidding capital punishment.
Theological Reflections
Isaiah tells of a coming new Exodus when God will lead his people out of exile and home to the promised land. God will do this new thing and make a way in the wilderness and provide water for humans and beasts. The goal is that the people might declare God's praise to all the nations. Paul writes to the Philippians a personal reflection on his life, one in which he says he counts all the former works of obeying the Law as so much garbage in light of the righteousness through faith in Christ that depends on faith. He says he has not arrived at perfection but is pressing on toward the goal of the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. The John 12 passage reveals the spontaneous love of Mary for Jesus in anointing him in preparation for his coming death and burial. Luke gives an allegory which he calls a parable but really is an allegory through which Jesus warns the scribes and chief priests of the coming judgment on them and the people as punishment for rejecting God's beloved son and heir, Jesus himself, and executing him. John 8 is the account of Jesus' mercy in forgiving the sinner caught in adultery and his judgment on sin. Jesus does not allow himself to be entrapped by the scribes and Pharisees, but confronts them with their hypocrisy.
Homiletical Moves
Isaiah 43:16-21
God Is Doing a New Thing!
1. Stop looking mournfully back and clinging to the past
2. God is doing a new thing: (1) in bringing the exiles home; (2) in bringing us home to God who made us for himself and outside of whom we can find no rest or peace
3. Trust in God to provide your deliverance from bondage to sin
4. Declare God's praise for his mighty deliverance
Philippians 3:8-14
Pressing On Toward the Goal of the Upward Call
1. Let us count our former trust in good works and religious rites as just so much garbage
2. We have received a righteousness not of our own, but one from God that depends on faith
3. We have not achieved perfection in this life
4. Let us press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus
This Preacher's Preference
John 12:1-8
The sermon may highlight the spontaneous gift of ointment and the love with which Mary anointed Jesus' feet and wiped them with her hair, contrasted with the defection of Judas who stole from the common treasury of the disciples. The spontaneous love of Mary will result in spontaneous gifts for the poor also. Mark's Gospel has Jesus remind Judas that "when you will" you can do good to the poor who are with you always. Mary anointed Jesus' feet in anticipation of his burial, indicating she has heard his foretelling of his coming death. Mary's gift may be seen as a spontaneous act of gratitude for Jesus' raising her brother Lazarus from the dead.
Spontaneous Love and Gratitude
1. Mary anointed Jesus' feet with a pound of pure nard and wiped his feet with her hair, in gratitude for his raising of Lazarus from the dead
2. Judas resented this act of spontaneous expenditure and affection, but he was a thief and not sincere in his criticism
3. Jesus praises Mary for her act of anointing him for his burial, and tells Judas to let Mary keep what remains for the day of his burial
4. Jesus points out that the poor you have with you always and when you will you do good to them, but he will not always be with them in the flesh
Luke 20:9-19 (L)
The Rejected Stone Has Become the Head of the Corner
1. Israel and her leaders rejected the beloved son of God, Jesus
2. They put him to death outside Jerusalem
3. God raised him from the dead, victorious over sin and death
4. The rejected stone, Jesus, has become the head of the corner, the Lord of lords and King of kings
5. Let us trust in him and follow the Living Christ
John 8:1-11 (RC)
Go, and Do Not Sin Again!
1. A woman caught in adultery is brought to Jesus to entrap him with his decision to either condemn her to death by stoning or to condone her adultery
2. Jesus refuses to be trapped, and tells the woman's accusers that the one who is without sin should throw the first stone at her
3. Her accusers go away, leaving Jesus and the woman alone
4. Jesus asks her who has condemned her and she replies "No one, Lord"
5. Jesus forgives the sinner while condemning the sin
6. Let us trust in Jesus who died for our sins and who, by his death, has provided both justice and mercy for all
Hymn for Lent 5: Lead On, O King Eternal
Prayer
Gracious God, who brought the exiles home to the promised land, we pray that you will lead us home to you by your Spirit. Forgive our trusting in our own righteousness and good works. Reassure us of your acceptance of us by the righteousness which comes through faith. May we respond to your saving acts with spontaneous love and gratitude. We thank you for Jesus who died on the Cross to condemn sin and forgive sinners. We praise you for the revelation of your mercy and justice in his atoning death. May we always praise you to all the nations for your mighty work of bringing us home to fellowship with you from the wilderness of sin. Amen
There is consensus on the Isaiah reading, which recalls God's promise to restore his people from Babylon. There is also consensus on the Philippians reading, which is Paul's statement of his goal in life - righteousness through faith in Christ and the resurrection from the dead. The John 12 passage was chosen because it prefigures the passion and describes the involvement of the women. The Luke 20:9-19 reading is the parable of the vineyard, which the scribes and chief priests perceived was a parable against them. In John 8:1-11 we have the account of the woman caught in adultery.
Commentary
Isaiah 43:16-21
Notice that in verses 16-17 we find allusions to the passage through the Red Sea: a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, chariot, horse, army and warrior who lie down and cannot rise. The new thing foretold in verse 19 is the return of Israel to Palestine from exile. The way in the wilderness of verse 19 was also a part of the Exodus story. God provided water in the wilderness, and now he will provide it for wild beasts as well as people.
This passage should be regarded as a "proclamation of salvation," in the same literary category as Isaiah 41:17-20 and 42:14-17. In such a proclamation of salvation there are three divisions: (1) reference to a lament, either individual or community; (2) proclamation of salvation which involves God's turning, and God's intervention; (3) the end in view.
1. The lament. It appears that verse 16b and verse 17 are the community lament in which there is a review of God's former acts of salvation. In other community laments we find a mention of the deliverance at the Red Sea. In verse 18 the author says "Remember not ..." in which he does not mean to merely forget God's original act of deliverance, but as in other laments there is a contrast between his present attitude toward his chosen people and the great thing he did for them earlier. Here Isaiah is not saying that the old tradition of deliverance in the Exodus is not to be recalled and honored, but rather that they should stop looking mournfully back and stop clinging to the past, but instead turn toward the future in which God is about to do a new thing!
2. Proclamation of salvation. This new thing which God is about to do is something Israel had ceased to expect, or hope for, much less believe in. She thought God had ceased his saving acts. But what is now promised is a new thing, which means it will appear shortly and Israel will perceive it, will know it. God will take an entirely new approach toward doing the new thing, in contrast to the deliverance in the Exodus: (1) but although this is an entirely new way of doing this, it is the same God who becomes the deliverer and liberator of his chosen people, and (2) this new deliverance is given effect to - and becomes reality by - a new journey through the wilderness, during which the wilderness will be miraculously transformed.
3. The end in view. The proclamation of salvation achieves its goal by means of a look forward at
the result which this new Exodus will have: "that they might declare my praise." (v. 21) This is not a final act, just as the first Exodus was not a final act, but God will go on dealing with this chosen nation. This deliverance is not a condition of final salvation; rather, the praise which tells of God's actions is offered in history. There are peoples who still need to be told of God's miraculous acts.
Philippians 3:8-14
This passage is part of a larger section, verses 4-16, which is Paul's reflection on his own life. The preacher should read the whole section to get the background for this pericope. Earlier Paul has reviewed his strict Pharisee background with impeccable credentials regarding the Jewish law. But he counts all this as loss because of the far greater worth of knowing Jesus Christ his Lord. (v. 8) While Paul had been blameless so far as the external requirements of the law are concerned, now he has received the righteousness of God as a free gift, one which depends only upon a person's willingness to receive it.
In verses 10-11 Paul aspires to know Christ and the power of his resurrection so that he might attain the resurrection from the dead. In fact, to know Christ as risen and living is to have power to suffer like him, and for him, and to have a certain hope of rising and living with him in the age to come.
Be aware of the use of "count" twice in verse 8. Both phrases in which it is used make the same point: he counts all the former things as loss or trash or garbage ("refuse" in RSV is not strong enough). There has been a revolution in values in Paul's life, due to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus as Lord. All efforts at earning salvation through good works or moral behavior is just so much garbage in light of knowing Christ. After his conversion on the road to Damascus, Paul underwent a "values clarification" in which he found former things to be worthless, and the gift of righteousness through Christ to be of supreme worth.
Because of his saving knowledge of Christ Paul has turned his back on literal circumcision as a significant rite, and asserts that it is he (Paul) who has been found in Christ, not his opponents. According to Paul, being found in Christ means two things which come together here:
1. a legal meaning: human beings are declared to be in right relationship with God because of their trust in Christ
2. a mystical meaning: the believer is in Christ and Christ is in the believer. Earlier this writer commented on hearing Karl Barth say that this is the only valid mysticism in the Christian faith. To be "in Christ" means two things for Paul: (a) standing before God on the basis of faith which is given only because of a faith-trust relationship; (b) participative knowing of Christ through knowing the power of his resurrection and having a partnership in his suffering. To be a partner in Christ's sufferings means that one has one's existence shaped by Christ's death, in order to know his resurrection. "No cross, no crown" is a pithy way of putting it.
Righteousness is a key word in this passage and is the basic theme of Romans 1-8. Paul uses the word to mean, not goodness, but rectitude - right relationship with God. God bestows this righteousness as a gift in contrast to the righteousness humans try to achieve by obedience. Faith is the substitute for the great effort to meet the demands of the law. Paul declares that this kind of righteousness comes not through religious rites and human efforts but through trusting in the resurrection of Christ.
In this life the resurrection is not a possession but a promise, as verse 11 indicates. Paul's one object now is to obtain the full resurrection. Here Paul uses a compound word to denote not just the inward resurrection which Christians know in this life but also the ultimate rising from the dead in the General Resurrection.
In verses 12-16 Paul describes the Christian life as a process and develops the tension, between having now and not yet having that which is in the future. The present life is one of struggle and striving and hoping. Paul knows how little he has achieved and admits he is not perfect or whole. But he presses on to make it his own. The most significant phrase here is "am already perfect" which literally means in the Greek: "have already been perfected." It seems Paul's opponents used the term "perfection" as a slogan and it was an important word in some Greco-Roman religions, especially in the gnostic teachings. Paul asserts that perfection is not something one has here and now, but is rather something which belongs to the future.
Process theology has developed even further the theme which Paul mentions here, that life is in process and is not static. He says his life consists of straining forward, pressing on toward the goal which is a prize still ahead. This prize is "the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (v. 14) The New English Bible translates this "God's call to life above." This gives it the thrust of a call into eternal life, realized only at death as the NEB suggests. Paul's gnostic opponents claimed they had already heeded the "call," which was a favorite gnostic expression. But Paul says it is still out in front of him and he is still pressing toward it.
Notice how cleverly Paul takes the slogans of his opponents and throws them back at them with a new meaning, in order to deny them their point. There is a "perfectionism" strain in Christian tradition, continuing into the present. It claims to have arrived at a "sinless" state of living. But Paul declares there is always a height not yet attained. He found this to be true in his own life, and believes it to be true in the Christian life in general.
John 12:1-8 (C)
John's account of the anointing of Jesus is dated six days before Passover, in contrast to Mark's account which appears to be set two days before Passover. There are parallels to this account in Mark 14:3-9, Matthew 26:6-13, and Luke 7:36-50. Attempts to reconcile them are dealt with in critical commentaries by Raymond Brown and other scholars. That question is beyond the scope of this Workbook.
Jesus goes to a supper in Bethany knowing full well that there is a plot against his life (1 1:53, 57) Remember that Bethany was only two miles from Jerusalem, where the plot was being laid against him. Lazarus is a guest there, in the home of Mary and Martha his sisters. In spite of the opposition to Jesus, large crowds had gathered, drawn by the possibility of seeing Lazarus (whom Jesus had raised from the dead, 11:1-57). Thus this sign of Jesus had its usual effect: "... many believed in his name when they saw the signs which he did." (2:23)
In Luke's account the supper and anointing take place in the home of a Pharisee. There we are told that the woman who anointed Jesus is a sinner. But John identifies her as Mary. The ointment used cannot be identified for certain. Nard, also known as spikenard, is the fragrant oil from the root and spike of the nard plant which thrives in the mountains of northern India. Some think it was myrrh made from the resin of a balsam tree and used in incense, cosmetics, medicines and for burial purposes. John uses a generic term which means perfume in a general sense, not myrrh.
Mary anointed Jesus' feet with the costly ointment and wiped them with her hair. It may be that the phrase "and the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment" (v. 3) is a symbolic equal to the words of Jesus in Mark 14:9: "And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her." Care for the poor and care for the dead, both of which were emphasized in Jewish life, are contrasted here, although both are considered good works in Judaism.
The complaint here is by Judas Iscariot only, who is identified as one of the disciples, and the one who is to betray Jesus. In other places Judas is identified as the son of Simon.
Judas' reaction to the anointing is an indication of his defection. Judas says the ointment could have been sold for three hundred denarii (one denarii was a day's wage for a laborer) and given to the poor. The money box referred to was originally a case for musical reeds but came to mean a box or coffer as used here.
Jesus replied to Judas' criticism: "Let her alone, let her keep it for the day of my burial. The poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me." (vv. 7-8) Mary has offered this expensive gift to Jesus in gratitude for the raising of her brother Lazarus, without thinking of its cost. Love doesn't stop to count the cost! The idea is not that Mary is going to keep the perfume for some future use but that she was keeping it until this moment in order to embalm Jesus. "She has kept" may be the best translation. Jesus forsees his death, and the anointing is the last rite in preparation for burial. In verse 8 Jesus is saying that such spontaneous love, which gives without calculating the cost, will not neglect the poor either.
An important addition which Mark has to the reply of Jesus is: "For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you will, you can do good to them, but you will not always have me." (Mark 14:7) The hearers of John's account should be reminded of this addition in Mark, since it has become all too easy for folks to dismiss helping the poor by quoting Jesus' saying that "you always have the poor with you" but failing to add and whenever you will you can do good to them.
John may have seen this anointing as symbolic of anointing Jesus for the office of king of Israel. John has Jesus enter Jerusalem, the capital, as the anointed king.
Luke 20:9-19 (L)
While verses 9-12 may have been part of a true parable, the additional materials seem to make the whole an allegory. This allegory reflects the theology of the early church, out of which Luke's Gospel came. Taking it as an allegory, we discover the following relationships:
+ The owner of the vineyard is God
+ The vineyard is Israel (Isaiah 5:1ff)
+ The tenants are the Jewish leaders
+ The servants are the the prophets of the Old Testament period
+ The "beloved son" is Jesus Christ
+ The murder of the beloved son, the heir, is Jesus' crucifixion
+ The dispossession and destruction of the wicked tenants are God's plan of history
+ The new tenants are most likely the apostles, and this points to the coming Gentile domination over the land of Israel
It seems Luke has altered the order from Mark's account, so that the heir is killed outside the vineyard, just as Jesus was crucified outside Jerusalem.
In verse 19 we see that the scribes and Pharisees were enraged by the allegory since they perceived it was told against them, but they feared the people and so did not lay hands on Jesus. But verse 20 says they sent spies to listen to Jesus to report him to the governor while appearing to be sincere.
John 8:1-11 (RC)
This account of the woman taken in adultery is omitted from many ancient manuscripts but seems to be an authentic incident in Jesus' ministry, although it was not part of John's original Gospel. It is omitted by the earliest church fathers. The MSS which contain this incident do not place it here. Some even put it after Luke 21 :38. The story appears to be ancient. It is called a piece of the "floating tradition" that was inserted later. The vocabulary is not Johannine, and several words more characteristic of Luke are used.
According to Old Testament law, in the case of adultery both guilty parties are to be put to death. Deuteronomy 22:23-24 calls for stoning in the special case of adultery when the woman is a virgin betrothed to another man. Jesus' opponents seem to be setting Jesus up in this incident so they can charge him with either illegally inciting others to kill the woman, or else condoning a heinous sin which would discredit Jesus in the eyes of religious people.
The verse 7 reference is to a procedure from Old Testament times: "The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death." (Deuteronomy 17:7) The phrase "who is without sin" recalls Matthew 7:1: "Judge not, that you be not judged." But verse 7 also brings to mind the new law of Jesus: "You have heard that it was said 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matthew 5:28)
Jesus' refusal to condemn does not mean that he excuses adultery. There are two Greek words which may be translated condemn: one means to give the verdict; the other means to pass sentence. It is the latter which is used in these verses. While Jesus did not endorse the harsh sentence of death by stoning which her accusers wanted to execute, he told her to "go, and do not sin again." While Jesus' direction is a general one, the adulterous love affair is the sin meant.
The woman was a married woman, since adultery according to the Law was concerned with unfaithfulness on the part of the wife who was considered property of her husband. Affairs between husbands and unmarried women were not considered adultery.
When Jesus asks the woman where her accusers are he seems to be expressing either surprise or gentle sarcasm. The witnesses and accusers left, and so the case fell to pieces.
As to Jesus' writing in the sand, we don't know what he wrote. If this had been more important, surely the teller of the story would have reported the content. Jesus may have been simply doodling on the ground as Semites did when distraught.
This story expresses both the mercy of Jesus in forgiving the sinner and the justice of Jesus in not condoning the sin. Consider the moment when the woman taken in adultery stands confronted by the sinless Jesus who tells her he does not pass judgment on her, and who directs her to go and not sin again. The story captures both the expression of mercy so common in Luke's Gospel, and the role of Jesus as the serene judge as John pictures him.
Mark well, however, that Jesus is not saying that every judge must be sinless in order to judge others, a principle which would eliminate a justice system. Jesus here is dealing with zealots who have taken it upon themselves to enforce the Law as a way of entrapping him. The husband of the woman may even have arranged to have her caught by arranging for witnesses to be there, instead of trying to win her back with love. So the base motives of the judges, husband and witnesses are not according to the Law and Jesus is right in challenging their attempt to secure her conviction and execution. But we cannot take this instance as a general norm forbidding capital punishment.
Theological Reflections
Isaiah tells of a coming new Exodus when God will lead his people out of exile and home to the promised land. God will do this new thing and make a way in the wilderness and provide water for humans and beasts. The goal is that the people might declare God's praise to all the nations. Paul writes to the Philippians a personal reflection on his life, one in which he says he counts all the former works of obeying the Law as so much garbage in light of the righteousness through faith in Christ that depends on faith. He says he has not arrived at perfection but is pressing on toward the goal of the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. The John 12 passage reveals the spontaneous love of Mary for Jesus in anointing him in preparation for his coming death and burial. Luke gives an allegory which he calls a parable but really is an allegory through which Jesus warns the scribes and chief priests of the coming judgment on them and the people as punishment for rejecting God's beloved son and heir, Jesus himself, and executing him. John 8 is the account of Jesus' mercy in forgiving the sinner caught in adultery and his judgment on sin. Jesus does not allow himself to be entrapped by the scribes and Pharisees, but confronts them with their hypocrisy.
Homiletical Moves
Isaiah 43:16-21
God Is Doing a New Thing!
1. Stop looking mournfully back and clinging to the past
2. God is doing a new thing: (1) in bringing the exiles home; (2) in bringing us home to God who made us for himself and outside of whom we can find no rest or peace
3. Trust in God to provide your deliverance from bondage to sin
4. Declare God's praise for his mighty deliverance
Philippians 3:8-14
Pressing On Toward the Goal of the Upward Call
1. Let us count our former trust in good works and religious rites as just so much garbage
2. We have received a righteousness not of our own, but one from God that depends on faith
3. We have not achieved perfection in this life
4. Let us press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus
This Preacher's Preference
John 12:1-8
The sermon may highlight the spontaneous gift of ointment and the love with which Mary anointed Jesus' feet and wiped them with her hair, contrasted with the defection of Judas who stole from the common treasury of the disciples. The spontaneous love of Mary will result in spontaneous gifts for the poor also. Mark's Gospel has Jesus remind Judas that "when you will" you can do good to the poor who are with you always. Mary anointed Jesus' feet in anticipation of his burial, indicating she has heard his foretelling of his coming death. Mary's gift may be seen as a spontaneous act of gratitude for Jesus' raising her brother Lazarus from the dead.
Spontaneous Love and Gratitude
1. Mary anointed Jesus' feet with a pound of pure nard and wiped his feet with her hair, in gratitude for his raising of Lazarus from the dead
2. Judas resented this act of spontaneous expenditure and affection, but he was a thief and not sincere in his criticism
3. Jesus praises Mary for her act of anointing him for his burial, and tells Judas to let Mary keep what remains for the day of his burial
4. Jesus points out that the poor you have with you always and when you will you do good to them, but he will not always be with them in the flesh
Luke 20:9-19 (L)
The Rejected Stone Has Become the Head of the Corner
1. Israel and her leaders rejected the beloved son of God, Jesus
2. They put him to death outside Jerusalem
3. God raised him from the dead, victorious over sin and death
4. The rejected stone, Jesus, has become the head of the corner, the Lord of lords and King of kings
5. Let us trust in him and follow the Living Christ
John 8:1-11 (RC)
Go, and Do Not Sin Again!
1. A woman caught in adultery is brought to Jesus to entrap him with his decision to either condemn her to death by stoning or to condone her adultery
2. Jesus refuses to be trapped, and tells the woman's accusers that the one who is without sin should throw the first stone at her
3. Her accusers go away, leaving Jesus and the woman alone
4. Jesus asks her who has condemned her and she replies "No one, Lord"
5. Jesus forgives the sinner while condemning the sin
6. Let us trust in Jesus who died for our sins and who, by his death, has provided both justice and mercy for all
Hymn for Lent 5: Lead On, O King Eternal
Prayer
Gracious God, who brought the exiles home to the promised land, we pray that you will lead us home to you by your Spirit. Forgive our trusting in our own righteousness and good works. Reassure us of your acceptance of us by the righteousness which comes through faith. May we respond to your saving acts with spontaneous love and gratitude. We thank you for Jesus who died on the Cross to condemn sin and forgive sinners. We praise you for the revelation of your mercy and justice in his atoning death. May we always praise you to all the nations for your mighty work of bringing us home to fellowship with you from the wilderness of sin. Amen
