Proverbs 11:24–28 (ESV)
24 One gives freely, yet grows all the richer;
another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. 25 Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered. 26 The people curse him who holds back grain, but a blessing is on the head of him who sells it. 27 Whoever diligently seeks good seeks favor, but evil comes to him who searches for it. 28 Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf. 2 Corinthians 9:6–12 (ESV) 6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 9 As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” 10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply
your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be en- riched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanks- giving to God. 12 For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. John 12:1–11 (ESV) 12 Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. 3 Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. 8 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.” 9 When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.
Dear fellow redeemed: This Lenten season we are paying heed to people who figured in the passion of Christ and were witnesses of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Last week the prophet John the Baptizer pointed out Jesus as the Lamb of God that actually takes away the sins of the world.
Today out we are going to think about Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha. Here’s the context. In John 11, Lazarus dies; after four days, his body has begun to putrify. Jesus stands in front of the tomb and weeps. But then He shouts, “Lazarus, come out.” Lazarus comes stum- bling out of his tomb—alive—with his shroud still around him like a used cocoon.
For the Jewish leaders, this was the last straw. By raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus moves from the category of “manageable nuisance” to the category of “serious threat.” “So from that day on they made plans to put Him to death” (John 11:53). Christ’s days are numbered!
As we come to John 12, Jesus has a price on His head. So does Lazarus. “The chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus” (John 12:10–11). (Interestingly enough, we have examples from those days of posters calling for someone to be turned in, betrayed, to the authorities. First Easter by Paul Maier)
The day before his great entrance into Jerusalem, Jesus was at a dinner held for him in Bethany, at the home of someone named “Simon the Leper.” Martha was serving and Lazarus was there. A good number of people reclined at the table (not our style, but it worked for them.) Others were gathered around.
Then something happened that marks Mary as a remarkable witness. 3 Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. Those present, especially Judas, put a value on it of 300 denarii. A denarius was a day’s wages, so the ointment was worth about a year’s wages!
Now we go through the spiritual exercise of giving ourselves. We count our blessings; we consider our income, we realize that finally all things belong to God, and he has entrusted us with blessings to take care of our family, to pay our taxes, and to support the ministry of the word. It belongs to Him, and so we don’t spend His money all on ourselves, so we set aside a portion of it. Maybe 8%, maybe 12%, but it is sacrificial giving. That is to say, we feel it. That $200, $300 or more per month means that we may put off buying something or go without.
Sometimes our gifts are to make a statement. I remember many years ago, back in the sixties, an elderly woman outlived her whole family. She took a significant part of her savings and just lived out the little life she had left on her small pension in order to make a gift of a communion set made of sterling silver, lined with gold, and strategically ornamented with rubies and sapphires.
Mary was making a statement, as Jesus pointed out: … “… For she has done a beautiful thing to me. … In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”” (Matthew 26:10–13, ESV)
This tells you what kind of a witness she was. She heard his preaching and believed He was the Messiah. She saw Lazarus raise, and believed He was the Messiah. She heard him say that he would be turned over to the Gentiles, be crucified, and rise again, and she believed He was the Messiah. In tribute to him she gave a great gift in anticipation of His burial.
We also bear witness to Christ by our gifts. Just as Mary paid tribute to the atoning sacri- fice of her dear Savior, so do we. Our giving is a spiritual exercise. We consider our blessings, that is we consider what He has placed in our keeping for a while. We consider what our Savior has done for the whole world, and for us: He has rescued us from death, after all. We confess that we sometimes want to spend all of what He has entrusted to us just on ourselves. But as we love Him, and as we trust Him, we set aside generously for the work He is doing through the church even now, spreading the gospel.
For in that, we too are witnesses.
Right now, it makes the difference between having a pastor or not. Our treasurer has had to take from savings to cover salary for the second time recently. Yet the Lord has put us in charge of enough of his wealth that we can use it to be His witnesses and still meet all our own needs. God have mercy on us for our stinginess and poor management of His wealth! So back to Mary. Our own experience with the time, the abilities, and the money that we have been entrusted with tells us that Mary was REALLY expressing her faith in the Messiah. She was expressing her faith that she could give away a year’s wages, but that she would still live and prosper because He would not just preach a while and then be dead and gone, nor that He would be a helpless victim of the Jews. But He would soon be the risen and ascended Christ who would take care of her as He does for all the children of men. He provides for us both in time and in eternity.
Let us also bear witness!! AMEN