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The Extravagance of Christian Love
I. Introduction
A. Mark 14.3-9
B. Society’s Understanding of Love
II. The Cost of Love
A. This type of love is extravagant
B. This type of love is sacrificial
C. This type of love is dangerous
III. The Commitment of Love
A. She literally gives all that she has
B. She holds nothing back
IV. The Continuous Nature of Love
V. Conclusion
A. Was Jesus wrong?
B. Lets make Jesus right?
Video clip playing showing the anointing of Jesus; accompanied by the song “Hold Me Now.” By Jennifer Knapp; played and sang by Tom Collins
I. Introduction
What a beautiful song and a beautiful video clip. Thank you Tom for sharing such a poignant story in song and video. What a great story of love. What a great example of the kind of love that Jesus deserves. What a wonderful example of Christian love. And that is the topic or the theme for today, Christian love. What does it mean to love and what does love really look like. We say we love this or we love that, but what does love really mean? What are the characteristics of love that each follower of Jesus should strive for? Today, I hope to address that question and my prayer is that when we leave here today, we have a better understanding of the type of love that Jesus desires for us to have not only toward others, but also toward him.
I few weeks ago I was leading the senior high youth through a program discussing the three temptations that Jesus went through in the wilderness. As luck would have it, I drew the lust of the flesh. I realized while preparing that program for the youth how we as a culture define love and measure love. We seek to understand what love is based on magazines and movies. We are inundated with so much visual data of what love should be and what love should look like. But the love that we see in movies and the love that we read about in magazines is not the kind of love that God demands for himself or the type of love that we truly desire from each other. We pick up magazines as we are walking through the check-out line at Wal-Mart to catch a glimpse of how we should feel when we love and how we should act when we love something. We perhaps even subscribe to magazines that promise us love and tell us sure ways how to get people to love us. We even by things, thinking that if I wear a certain thing or dress a certain people will love me more. We even have catalogs sent to us like Victoria’s Secret, that is neither Victorian nor much of a secret, but promises us romance and love by the products that it sales. It is interesting that we are a culture that is obsessed with love and being loved, but we have a poor idea of what love looks like or feels like. We sometimes mistake feelings and moods for love, but that is far from a Christian view of love.
As followers of Jesus, love is more than a feeling or an idea. Love is an action. It began at creation with God, out of love creating the world and all that is in it and that love continued down through the ages until love was personified as a person named Jesus. Today, I want us to understand what Christian love should look like. I want us to understand what is the measuring stick. To help us understand this better, we will need to go to the source for understanding what love is all about, a book full of love, the Bible.
If you would, please turn to Mark 14.3-9. This is a story full of love and devotion and interestingly enough, this type of love is not shown by Jesus, but by a woman. This woman shows us what Christian love should look like and how it should behave. Let us look very closely at this text and try to re-discover what Christian love is all about.
II. The Courage of Love
For many of us we do not view love or being loved as a sign of courage. But let us look closely at this unnamed woman’s example, and see just how courageous true love and devotion can be.
A. To stand in the midst of men
Mark tells us that Jesus was gathering at Simon the leper’s house for a meal. While the meal was taking place an unnamed woman comes into the room carrying an alabaster jar. This is note worthy on two levels. First, women and children did not share the same place at the table. This woman walks into a room and shares the same position as the men of the house. This takes courage. Notice how much courage. She risked embarrassment and ridicule in order to show her love for Jesus. She risked stepping out of the social norms for her convictions and for her view of Jesus. That is what true love is all about. It is the willingness to lay aside our personal agendas and personal feelings and minister not only to Jesus but in his name. That is what the church needs today. A love that gives in the face of ridicule and cultural norms. A love that is bold and is focused only on the person of Jesus. Don’t we all desire that kind of love? We want that for ourselves. Do we not want to be surrounded by people who are willing to step up and step out in the name of Jesus. It takes courage to love, and this woman shows us what true love is. True love is courageous love, not fearful. John would write some 20 years later that true love cast out all fear. If we truly love something, then fear is cast out. Let us learn not to be afraid of a love that is courageous. Let us begin today to cultivate with God’s spirit a love that is not only courageous, but also gripping.
B. To seize the moment
While all of Jesus’ disciples are eating and discussing the events of the day, this woman seizes the moment that is presented to her. She would not have another chance to do this. This would be her only opportunity to minister to Jesus. How true is that of us. Everyday we fail to seize moments to minister. We think, “tomorrow. Today I am too busy.” And guess what? Tomorrow never comes or it comes and goes. True love, or Christian love, seizes the moment that is given, because a Christian understands that we are not promised tomorrow. Seize the moment to love and minister in the name of Jesus you may never have this moment again. This woman understood something that the disciple’s did not, Jesus was on his way to the cross. She would never have this opportunity to share her love and devotion for him. CARPE DIEM, seize the day and savor it. This brings us to our third description of Christian love. Christian love maybe free, but it is not cheap
III. The Cost of Love
A. Love is extravagant
The disciples begin to confront the woman about the extravagance of her deed. They tell us that this oil cost 300 denari. That would be about 1 years wage. That would be equivalent to about $35,000 in today’s money. You true love is extravagant. As Christians we do not put a price on love. We must learn that no price is too great when it comes to serving Jesus. If God has called you to do something, the price may be high, but the resources will always be there. True love cost. Most of us want love and perhaps even want to give love, but we do not want to pay the price for it. We like the idea of receiving, but the idea of giving is a different matter. We live in a society where extravagant giving is questioned. Not much has changed. Look at what the disciples say to her. They do not see the ministry that is taking place they only see the $. Churches must be mindful of the cost, but we must be willing to pay it when commanded. This woman shows us that when it comes to ministry to Jesus or in the name of Jesus, no price is too high. We live in an age where people and churches worry about finances and budgets. When are we going to realize that as long as we are good stewards of what God has given us, we will always have enough. What might appear extravagant or costly to others is just a blip on the radar screen for God. God calls us to extravagant love. But not only is Christian love supposed to be extravagant and costly, it is also supposed to be continuous.
B. Love is sacrificial
Some believe that this was the woman’s dowry. Without she could not get married because she would have nothing to offer the man. You see this was her entire future and her entire well-being. Without a husband she would be totally dependent upon Jesus and his small band of disciples for her welfare. Love is sacrificial, it gives no matter the outcome.
C. Love is dangerous.
Notice the response of those who witness this love. What is their response? Surely they will think that Jesus is worth such extravagance. What Mark tell us? Look at verse 4. The people complain about what the woman did. They scold her as wasting all that love on Jesus. They try to justify themselves by saying that the oil could have been sold and given to the poor. See it is dangerous to step out and show our love for Jesus. People may condemn our actions as being meaningless or even silly. To love Jesus and to show Christian love is a dangerous thing, but look at Jesus response. He says that they should leave her alone. There will always be poor people, but her will only be here for a short time. Now a few people have used this verse to show that Jesus did not have any concern for the poor, but that is hardly the case. What Jesus is pointing to is the fact that religious observance or religious rules of piety, should never get in the way of serving and loving Jesus. Too serve the poor is a good thing, but if it is done without Jesus then it has less value. We must not allow our traditions to get in the way of our joy for Jesus. Tradition without a love for Jesus is misguided and destructive. The
IV. Commitment of Love
A. She literally gives all that she has
Notice what she does. The woman takes all that she has and gives it to Jesus. You see, Christian love takes what it has and gives at the exact moment that it is needed. But it is more than giving all, it is also not holding anything back.
B. She does not hold anything back
Look at 14.3b. Mark tells us that the woman broke open the alabaster jar and John adds that the aroma filled the room. This was not a jar with a cap on it that could very easily be opened. This jar was a one time item, saved for a special purpose. When she broke the jar open there was no holding back. Her love was a committed love. Not only did she give what she had, she gave it all. She held nothing back. That is what true love is all about. If we truly love someone we do not just give a little of ourselves, we give all of ourselves. We surrender all of ourselves to the other. To say that you love someone, but hold something back from them is not love but manipulation. Christian love does not understand withholding, it only understands giving. When God sent Christ, he did not give just a little of himself, but all. God has given us his best, and he deserves our best. Christian love gives, but not just a little. It gives everything. Are you holding something back? Is your love for Jesus and your neighbor conditional? I pray that it is not. This woman shows us that love must not be withheld, it must be given freely and completely.
V. The Continuous Nature of Love
As mentioned previously, a parallel account of this story is found in the Gospel of John, with a view more comments and insights into the story. What John tells us is that when the jar of oil/perfume was open, “the smell filled the house.” According to historians, this perfume had a very strong smell that would linger and remain on a person for several days. The reason that this is important is for several reasons. First, we must remember, the people in the 1st century would not bath as much as we do. A bath a week would be normal. Jesus living in the 1st century would probably follow that custom. He would wash his feet and hands after traveling and before eating, but a bath would be a luxury. When this lady anointed Jesus she covered his head, his beard, his clothes and his feet. She basically bathed him in the perfume. The smell of the perfume would have stayed with him for days. Why is this important? Look at 14.3. What day is it? It is Wednesday. Tomorrow would be Thursday, The night that Jesus would be arrested. The following Friday he would be crucified. I often wondered how Jesus made it through those hours of pain and suffering. I think that we have a clue given to us in the scripture reading. As Judas approached to betray Jesus with a kiss, they both smelled As Jesus stood before the Sanhedrin that Thursday night he smelled it. As he stood before Herod he smelled it. As he stood before Pilate, he smelled it. As he was whipped by the cat of nine tails he smelled it. As he stood before the crowd and they shouted for Barrabas he smelled. As they placed his robe back on him, he smelled it. As they laid the cross upon his back, he smelled it. As they led him down the streets of Jerusalem, he smelled it. As they stripped him naked at Golgatha, he smelled it. As he was being raised upon the cross, amid the dump heap he smelled it. As he was crying, “My God, My God why have you forsaken,” me he smelled it. As the people mocked him, he smelled it. And as he was grasping for his last breath he last smell was it. What was it? It was the smell of love. The smell of perfume. The smell of the last act of love that he was shown on this earth. You see, this woman’s act of love lingered and stayed with him. In the midst of rejection he could remember love. That is what love is. It is long lasting and continually giving in the midst of suffering.
VI. Conclusion
Jesus ends this scene with this saying, “Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her." Was Jesus wrong? Have we remembered this story? Are we living out this type of love and service? You see, love is not just a feeling, it is action. As many have said before me, “love is a verb.” Christian love is not like the love that the world gives. Christian love is courageous. It is willing to take a chance even when it is not the expedient thing to do or the most politically correct. Love is about commitment, giving all that you have when you have. Christian love is extravagant. It does not keep score. Christian love is not based on $ signs. It understands that love is the most precious gift. And finally Christian love is continual. We must understand that the love that we give, keeps on giving and that love sustains in the midst of suffering and outward failure. We must never underestimate the power of Christian love. Let us begin to live our lives in the reality of Christian love. A love that is courageous, committed, costly and continual.
As we close this service, if there is anyone in here who has not experienced true Christian love and desires to enter into a relationship with Jesus, I would invite you to make that commitment, whether in your seat or here in the front. I know that people are embarrassed to walk down the aisle in front of people and I understand. But also remember, it took an unbelievable amount of courage for that un-named woman to anoint Jesus. And Jesus said that her deed would be remembered wherever the gospel is preached. Let us make a similar commitment today, that we would desire to love Jesus no matter what the cost. That our love would not count the cost to ourselves, but that we would remember that we love the King of kings and the LORD of lords. Do you want to enter into a relationship with love like that? You can and it can happen this very day. Let us make Jesus right. Let us remember and live out this example.
