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In the gospels there are versions of a story about Jesus having his feet anointed with oil. In two versions, they are at dinner at the home of Simon the leper, and a woman comes and pours the ointment on his head. In the gospel of John, the anointing occurs at the home of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha in Bethany. The woman is Mary. She pours the oil on Jesus’ feet and wipes with with her hair.

In all three stories, the disciples are angry about the expense involved. Apparently the oil or ointment is very expensive. They are worked up about the waste. Doesn’t that sound familiar? We can’t afford it. Something more important could be done with the money. It could have been given to the poor.

But this attitude misses the point of the anointing. Anointing was part of the burial ritual. This was preparation for what was to come. It was acknowledgement of the poignancy of the moment. How many people say, “If I knew she was going to die, we would have spent the money and taken that trip we always dreamed about.” Or think of the Dream Fund giving kids who are dying an experience they have always wanted. In the face of death, we may spare no expense for our loved one. Maybe the disciples are simply still in denial about what is to come for Jesus. They just cannot accept it or face it. But Mary or the woman validate Jesus’ reality with the oil. Helping him prepare to face what he must face.

Anointing with oil is not just for death. It is also a ritual that is used for designated service. When selecting a leader for instance. When Samuel goes to choose a new king from among Jesse’s sons, he anoints the chosen one, David, with oil. The anointing of Jesus with oil is also a mark that he has been chosen by God for particular service. This is a high honor and a significant responsibility.

Jesus is anointed. Anointed for service and anointed for burial. He fulfills his mission with obedience and faithfulness. And because of his unwavering devotion he faces death. The anointing reminds us that service involves sacrifice. Faithfulness involves risk and can be costly. Obedience can be deadly.

When you think about it, where in today’s society do we see people willing to make a commitment that involves facing death directly? The armed forces. Suicide bombers. Law enforcement. But Jesus gave his life for healing, reconciliation, anti violence, and fairness for the poor and marginalized. Where do we see that kind of obedience and faithfulness today?

Prayer: We are all afraid of death. We do not want to die. And yet we know that we cannot be fully alive without committing ourselves to a greater good. Without devotion and risk we are only going through the motions but not living deeply or fully. May we accept the consequences that come with faithfulness. May we open ourselves to being anointed by God for service knowing that service entails sacrifice. That is what brings us closer to God, to others, and to joy. We pray this through the one who gave all. Amen.

Local drama. We recently had our children visit from New York and they read the Tampa Bay Times which is delivered to our house each day. I found myself filling them in on different things in the paper because so much of it is of local interest – to the Tampa Bay area and to Florida.

In reading the gospel accounts of the last week of Jesus’ life, in a way I have the feeling that I am listening in on the local news of a small town in a backwater locale. The town council is upset. There’s drama over this upstart. There is authority to protect. Damage control to consider. There is back room politicking about how to handle things. Covert deals being made. It’s kind of reminiscent of the troubles in rural towns in the south during the civil rights movement.

When I read the gospel stories of the ending of Jesus’ life I don’t get the feeling that the people really had a sense of the wider implications of what was going on. I think if you asked the High Priest Caiaphas, “What do you think people will be saying about this 500 years from now?” he would have looked at you like you were crazy. There is a sense in which you can see these people dealing with this stressful challenge during difficult circumstances but it has the appearance of a local, temporary crisis. You don’t get the feeling that the people in the stories saw this as part of a much larger narrative with far-reaching consequences. They certainly did not expect to be the subject of an on-line devotion 2000 years later let alone the centuries of reflection and scrutiny that their situation has received.

When someone is president of the United States there is discussion of how history in the near and far future will deal with that person’s time in office. I don’t think the people of Jesus’ day in the story of the last week of his life had any sense of this. Now we know that this story has wider implications. It is a defining story of human history to date. This story is read, re-read, analyzed, preached on, written about, investigated, translated, picked apart and put back together. The behavior and attitudes of the major players are studied and scrutinized. I don’t think any of them expected this. And yet it has occurred.

This is a week to think about our behavior, our attitudes, our choices, our dealings with the challenges and crises of our day. How will we stack up under scrutiny by future ages? What will be said about us? Maybe there won’t be discussion of us as individuals, but certainly our era, our cultural context, our world situation will be examined. How will we fare? What will we be remembered for? How will our decisions be regarded by future generations 2000 years from now? That is, if humanity still exists.

Prayer: The life of Jesus reminds us that the unfolding of history takes place through ordinary every day actions and decisions. The love of God, cosmic, eternal, and mysterious is made known in the everyday workings of nature, creation, and, yes, in day to day mundane human life. Without full knowledge of the outcome may we have the courage to embody divine love each and every day even if it leads to death. This is the way of Jesus. This is the way of life. Amen.

Historical photos show soldiers returning from World War 2 to a ticker tape parade down the canyoned streets of New York City with thousands lining the sidewalks in celebration of the courageous, victorious heros who have vanquished the enemy. Different eras and different cultures have rituals which accomplish the same societal function.

In Jesus’ day such occasions featured a military leader astride a steed with festooned soldiers in tow parading down the main drag of Jerusalem to great acclaim. Jesus has come to Jerusalem for the High Holy Days, the celebration of Passover. He knows his enemies are plotting to entrap him. He knows they have been waiting and wondering if he will appear for Passover or if he will lay low to avoid trouble. There is much speculation and suspicion. Who will make what move and when? Jesus is bold and direct. He makes his moves out in the open, without fear, grounded in faithfulness.

In the gospels we are told of a procession through the streets of Jerusalem lined with the faithful who have come to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover. The population has swelled for the festival. Jesus comes riding into town on a donkey; not a heroic horse, but a beast of burden. For Jesus comes not as a symbol of war, but he comes in peace. His ride on the palm lined street symbolizes the antithesis of the victory march of a military leader. Jesus comes in humility, as one who serves the least and the lost. He comes as one who represents the opposite of Empire, domination, subjugation, and power maintained through intimidation and violence. He is not afraid. He is not intimidated even though he knows there are those waiting to kill him. He does not come to dominate or subjugate but to truly liberate. All people. For all time.

Palm Sunday and the ensuing week invite us to think about what kind of savior this Jesus really is and we receive him.

Prayer: We come to our holy week, our festival, our celebration of liberation this week. The story is familiar. But in the days ahead, may we find new meaning in the words and images that convey the greatest expression of Divine Love yet revealed in human history. May we be open to receiving that love into our lives and sharing it with the world whatever the cost. Amen.