For those who haven’t been with us before, we’ve been walking through a Lenten message series entitled, “JTV or Jesus Television.” You see American’s watch an average of 32 hours of TV per week. Almost a third of our waking hours are spent being affected or infected by the information disseminated by the “idiot box” as my father used to say. So it only seemed right, if Jesus wants to meet the culture where it sits that Jesus would start His own cable station called JTV. JTV would be like other stations trying to get your attention except it would take hit shows from other stations and eras and use them to teach God’s truth. Over the past 4 weeks, we have heard messages entitled: Temptation Island, Let’s make a deal, Extreme home Makeover and even Lost. This week we continue our viewing pleasure with America’s next Top Model. Now I know what some of you are thinking, I have never even heard of the show or watched it but did you know this is the number one show on the CW? It has been their #1 show for 10 plus seasons. Somebody’s watching this show. Tyra Banks, the ex super model, is the main force behind the show. She produces, directs and stars in the show. It’s a reality show of sorts where aspiring models come to hone their modeling skills hoping to be selected by Tyra’s judges as America’s next Top model. The aspiring models are judged and criticized weekly on a set of skills and challenges. Eventually the group is slimmed down to single contestant who is crowned ANTM. It’s interesting to note that while the show has been on 10 plus seasons, with 10 plus winners, none of the contestants or finalists have ever gone on to be classified as a supermodel. All the worldly knowledge of the judges and Tyra amounts to nothing but a human opinion of what is right.
Due to this observation, America’s next top model is a perfect metaphor for our lesson from today’s scripture.
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. 2 “But not during the festival,” they said, “or the people may riot.” 3 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. 4 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? 5 It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages[a] and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly. 6 “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 The poor you will always have with you,[b] and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. 8 She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. 9 Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” 10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. 11 They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over. 12 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?” 13 So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. 14 Say to the owner of the house he enters, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 15 He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.” 16 The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.
Almost 2000 years ago, Mary, the sister of Simon the Leper, gave Jesus a body wash of Indian spices, herbs and oil in front of all the disciples. It symbolized so much more than the disciples could have realized when the event occurred. It was an anointing of an honored guest which was the custom of the day but because of the cost of the oil it draws comparisons to an ordination of king, ruler and even a Messiah. In hindsight we also know it was a preparation for his upcoming burial. However, at that moment it was an unselfish act of worship which demonstrated unmediated love, respect and devotion.
The knuckleheads didn’t get it though. They were upset. This was not how a supermodel was to act nor a future king concerned for his people. After all, the perfume was worth over a year’s wages. The reality was this gift could be used to adhere to Passover traditions of giving to the poor. A large gift would definitely inspire others to join the Way as it was called and maybe even sponsor the on-going activities of the group. After all, Money is power in a world obsessed with it. The disciples’ sat stunned and Jesus used the moment as a teaching time. But some of the disciples didn’t get it. We know from the other gospel accounts Judas was especially inflamed over what he witnessed. He followed Jesus because he believed he would prosper when Jesus became ruler. The more Jesus continued to teach of his death and rising, the more Judas’ expectations would be challenged. Mary’s anointing was the last straw for Judas. Shortly thereafter he went to the ruling counsel and offered Jesus to them.
I think we can all sympathize with the disciples and their outrage because their worldview was practical. They struggled every day to make a dollar. They were surviving on gifts from others, working temp jobs, all to follow Jesus. So to think a gift so valuable would be used for a onetime event versus paying for a lot of real ministry must have really challenged their understanding of the mission. I’ve had, and many of the team who went to Haiti have had, to face this question. We had a team member’s flyers defaced with comments expressing that we need to take care of our own first. While other s have been questioned about our activities over there. In one particular question and answer session about how mission trips are financed, a person suggested that instead of paying or raising the funds to go on or fund the mission, why don’t I just give the money to the charity and asks friends to do the same. I answered, “Yes, I could send the money but then 30+ children would never know Jesus loved them so much that six Blanco American foos would come and work for them building desks, playing music, dancing to drum beats and laughing as we attempt to break the language barrier. They wouldn’t ever experience the Gospel of Jesus that moves beyond words, borders, governments and even money.
Mary’s actions were in the same vein. She showed her love, commitment and radical generosity by her actions without regard for what the world believed was right. After all, the entire world is fickle and often wrong. The same crowds who laid palms at Jesus feet and cheered him during his entry into Jerusalem would five days later scream, “Crucify Him!”
By Jesus’ approval of Mary’s actions, he called us all to this same radical love, commitment and generosity. In many ways, He’s telling us to walk the runway of life and strut the alternative lifestyle of Christianity: A life that may never bring us fame and fortune but is guaranteed to bring critique – some constructive and some destructive.
Now, where does this leave us today? Do we see ourselves as Mary, Judas or a combination of both? Do we worship the Lord so dramatically we give up our treasurers to see the Lord glorified? Or are we more like Judas, hanging around Jesus looking for some kind of a payoff? Maybe it’s not money but it’s the status of being a Christian – honest, faithful and reliable. Or maybe the payoff is confirmation of one’s ego that we are all good people because we know how to do church, bible studies and potlucks. The reality is we are all a little of both depending on the issue, our time and our checkbook. The only model we should strive to demonstrate is Christ’s radical example of loving each of us beyond what we believe we are worthy of.
So will we walk the runway this week facing the cheers of today and the shouts of anger next week in order to model the true sense of the gospel to those who are lacking?
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