Lenten Sermon

April 6, 2025, Katy Ranum

Sermon

Notes:

Mary Anoints Jesus at Bethany

John 12:1-8 NRSVUE
[1] Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. [2] There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him. [3] Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’s feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. [4] But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, [5] “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” [6] (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.) [7] Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. [8] You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”

https://bible.com/bible/3523/jhn.12.1-8.NRSVUE

Judas objected to Mary’s extravagant gift.

Mary’s actions did three things:

1. They illustrated the nature of discipleship.
2. They showed Jesus’s identity and nature.
3. They modeled what love looks like.

Are we following this closely? Can others catch the “aroma” of Jesus in our lives?
Do we focus so much on the “greater good” that we ignore the people before us who need love?
We mark ourselves by letting him transform us through intimacy, following, and laying down what is expensive to us—ideas, identities, and reputations—to follow him.

Movies

Sacrificial love is a popular theme in movies. Some of the most successful and popular movies have touched on these themes, though sometimes tainted with concepts of redemptive violence: Spider-Man, The Hunger Games, The Lord of the Rings, and even The Lion King have touched on these themes.

In other movies, like Schindler’s List and A Man for All Seasons, you catch the “aroma” of Jesus in the main character’s actions.

Sometimes, people pursue a “higher good” to the detriment of their relationships. Citizen Kane and Flash of Genius are good examples of this.

Television Episodes

“Robert Needs Money” – Everybody Loves Raymond (Season 7, Episode 6): Ray and Deborah give a financial gift to Robert, then take issue with how he uses it. A more humorous take on Judas’ complaint about Mary’s gift.

Situations involving the choice between a loved one and a greater good are represented in these popular shows: “City on the Edge of Forever” – Star Trek: The Original Series (Season 1, Episode 28), “Doctor Who” – “Doomsday” (2006), and “Sherlock” – “The Hounds of Baskerville” (2012).

Podcast Episodes

Music

Popular:

This week, here’s a list of mostly positive songs about prioritizing the beauty of friendship and love to commemorate Mary’s love for Christ:

“Bridge Over Troubled Water” – Simon & Garfunkel (1970)

“What a Wonderful World” – Louis Armstrong (Jazz/Pop, 1967)

“Lean on Me” – Bill Withers (Soul, 1972)

“Walking on Sunshine” – Katrina & The Waves

“You’ve Got a Friend in Me” – Randy Newman

Hymns:

https://hymnary.org/browse/lectionary/lent_5_c

Visual Art

Art From the Lectionary:

https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-processquery.pl?code=ACT&SortOrder=Title&LectionaryLink=CLent05