May 9, 2025 • 55 mins
What story are you telling yourself? In this powerful exploration of Mary's extravagant worship, we discover the transformative practice of "making the beautiful the story" in our lives and relationships.
When Mary broke open her alabaster jar containing perfume worth an entire year's wages to anoint Jesus' feet, she was immediately criticized. Judas questioned her extravagance, suggesting the money should have helped the poor instead. But Jesus defended her, recognizing something profound in her gesture that others missed - she was preparing him for burial, responding to a sacred moment with complete abandonment.
This contrast between Mary's devotion and Judas' criticism reveals two very different approaches to life and faith. While Judas could quote scripture about caring for the poor, his heart remained unchanged by those words. Mary, however, followed her spiritual intuition, responding from a place of profound gratitude despite cultural taboos and financial cost.
The invitation for us today is clear: develop spiritual sensitivity that allows us to see beauty where others see waste, to respond appropriately to holy moments, and to shift our focus from rehearsing sorrows to celebrating God's goodness. This doesn't mean denying difficulties - as one pastor notes, "hope smells like compost" - but rather recognizing that transformation often begins in messy, painful places.
As we approach Easter, let's embrace the "way of Mary" through practical acts of compassion, presence with those who suffer, and willingness to sacrifice for love. When we make beauty the central narrative of our lives rather than bitterness or regret, we participate in God's ongoing work of making all things new.
What story are you telling about your life? What would change if you began focusing on gratitude instead of grievances? Join us in this journey of transformation, and discover how shifting your perspective can change everything.
This podcast is made possible, thanks to the generosity of our donors. If you would like to support the ongoing work of First Love Church you can donate at https://www.firstlovechurch.org/giving
In the service of LOVE,
Pastors Dennis and Heather Drake
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to the First Love Church podcast.
This is a collection of Sundayteachings inspired by the
Revised Common Lectionary andrecorded weekly in Ocala Florida
.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Good morning.
I'm going to be reading fromthe New American Standard Cry
loudly, do not hold back.
Raise your voice like a trumpetand declare to my people their
transgression and to the houseof Jacob their sins.
Yet they seek me day by day anddelight to know my ways as a
(00:33):
nation that has donerighteousness and has not
forsaken the ordinance of theirGod.
They ask me for just decisions.
They delight in the newness ofGod.
Why have we fasted and you donot see?
Why have we humbled ourselvesand you do not notice?
Behold, on the day of your fast, you find your desire and drive
(00:55):
hard all your workers.
Behold, you fast for contentionand strife and to strike with
the wicked fist.
You do not fast like you dotoday to make your voice heard
on high.
It is a fast like this which Ichoose, a day for a man to
humble himself.
Is it for the bowing of one'shead like a reed and for
(01:18):
spreading out sackcloth andashes as a bed?
Will you call this a fast, evenan acceptable day to the Lord?
Is this not the fast which Ichoose to loosen the bonds of
wickedness, to undo the bands ofthe yoke and to let the
oppressed go free and breakevery yoke.
(01:38):
Is it not to divide your breadwith the hungry and bring the
homeless poor into the house?
When you see the naked, tocover him and not to hide
yourself from your own flesh?
Then your light will break outlike the dawn and your recovery
will speedily spring forth andyour righteousness will go
before you.
(01:58):
The glory of the lord will beyour rear guard.
Then you will call and the lordwill be your rear guard.
Then you will call and the Lordwill answer.
You will cry and he will sayhere I am.
If you remove the yoke from yourmidst, the pointing of the
finger and speaking wickedness,and if you give yourself to the
hungry and satisfy the devourerof the afflicted, then your
(02:20):
light will rise in darkness andyour gloom will become like
midday.
And the Lord will continuallyguide you and satisfy your
desire in scorched places andgive strength to your bones.
And you will be like a wateredgarden, like a spring of water
whose waters do not fail.
(02:41):
Those who are among you willrebuild the ancient ruins, you
will raise up the age-oldfoundations and you will be
called the repairer of thebreach, the restorer of the
streets in which to dwell.
If, because of the Sabbath, youturn your foot from doing your
own pleasure on my holy day andcall the Sabbath a delight, the
(03:02):
holy day of the Lord honorable,and honor it, desisting from
your own ways, from seeking yourown pleasure and speaking your
own word.
Then you will take delight inthe Lord and I will make you
ride on the heights of the earthand I will feed you with the
heritage of Jacob, your father.
For the mouth of the Lord hasspoken.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Lord.
This is the word of the Lord.
Thank you Again.
We're so grateful for yourpresence here this morning.
I was in a conversation withLori Beth Jones, and what an
honor it is to be in aconversation with her, but also
she's an incredible author.
(03:45):
If you don't know her books, Iwould recommend them, and one of
the books that she has is JesusCEO.
And one of the things that shesaid in this recent conversation
was make the beautiful thestory.
Sometimes, when we'redescribing our own life, we
forget to make the beautiful thestory.
Sometimes we make the heartachethe story.
(04:07):
Sometimes we make the betrayalthe story, and the invitation
into this beautiful practice isfor all of us make the beautiful
the story.
What you are retelling yourselfis one of the reasons why we
worship together is we retellthe good story.
Oh, it's sweet to trust in Jesus.
(04:28):
Oh for grace, to trust him more.
We are telling the beautifulstory, and so this is an
invitation to us in the way thatwe are even going to read the
scriptures this morning for thispart of Lent, I remind you, in
the past few weeks we have suchbeautiful imagery that we are
asked to join in and to rememberwhere we are asked to remember
(04:50):
the father who has two sons andone of the sons runs and does
whatever he pleases, and theimage that we have is a father
who, elbows flapping, is runningto get this son who is lost.
And this father who, elbowsflapping, is running to get this
son who is lost.
And this father who, with joy,goes out and says to the older
brother who's there, please comeinto the joy, come into the
(05:14):
party.
Your brother, my son that waslost is now found and we see
these images of joy, we seethese images of hope and we're
hearing this beautiful story aswe head into Holy Week and into
the practice of resurrection.
This is, for us, a actualpractice.
How do we become a people whomake the beautiful the story?
Speaker 3 (05:38):
You know.
I just wanted to comment onthat because I've been in church
a long time and people havetheir opportunities for their
testimonies and if you've everbeen to a testimony service,
many times it gets to thisreally long story about all the
things that the devil did, and20 minutes of this big, long
story and then at the end theygo and God healed me and God
(06:01):
gets like the cliff notes at theend of it, you know, and God
gets like the cliff notes at theend of it, you know.
And I wonder how much of ourlife we rehearse the negative
and forget to rejoice in thebeautiful, to really make that
the main part of the story.
Amen.
And recently I was listening toa statistic and it was so
(06:23):
powerful I shared it with thefamily as soon as I heard it
because, you know it brought upthe question what do you think
is more effective Lessnegativity spoken or more
positivity spoken over you?
What would be more powerful?
(06:43):
Yeah, it's not a trick, it'sjust what I mean.
Okay, well, I would think thattoo.
What would be more powerful?
It's not a trick, it's justwhatever you need, okay.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
Well.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
I would think that too, but it's absolutely not the
case.
It's not that you can dump morepositive, it's you have to, and
this is it's not even likeclose.
It's the thing.
If you could have learnedsomething, because coming to
church isn't just some cutething we do and all you just do
it so you can get a little meritfrom God.
God intends for us to gettogether as a family and learn
(07:16):
and grow and be transformed Amen.
We've been given these talentsand one day we're going to
return them to Him and we'relike oh, I buried them or no, I
did something with them.
And you've been given this lifeand what do we do with it?
Sometimes we just set innegativity or we rehearse what
happened.
You know, I found myself doingit, in fact, right here in this
church building a couple weeksago.
I was talking to somebody howare you doing?
(07:40):
And I started to tell a storyBecause I'm so used to telling
negative things.
And now I just what was mybenefit?
Maybe I want you to feel badfor me or join my misery, or do
I want to share or dump on you?
Why do we do that?
I think we're trained torehearse our sorrows.
(08:00):
We're trained to just lead withthat and I'm telling you, make
the beautiful thing Our sorrows.
We're trained to just lead withthat and I'm telling you, make
the beautiful thing.
It so resonated with Heatherand I this week and it's a way
that we could find something,because I mean, it happened this
morning in our dressing room.
Heather and I are in there andwe got a ceiling fan in there
(08:24):
and it's way too big of aceiling fan for that room system
, but if your wife is?
in menopause.
It's not big enough fan, and sothis giant airplane thing is
flying over our heads in thedressing room, oh whoa, and it
makes this engine noise.
It's's just an electric ceilingfan, but it's grinding over
(08:47):
here and I'm sitting there andI'm like, oh, that fan drives me
crazy.
And Heather said or, we can bethankful that we have air
blowing on us and that we haveelectricity and that we have a
fan.
And she started and all of asudden, you're right.
Sometimes we get mad at theother person because they're
(09:10):
right, instead of going thankyou for making the beautiful
thing, the story.
Now, I know I'm the only onethat does this, and so the whole
church service is anintervention that you're all
here to fix me.
Thank you, or maybe could allof us really recognize how much,
(09:36):
and Lord, are you willing to godown this rabbit hole?
Lord, show me where I'm makingthe negative thing, my badge and
my story and my glory, insteadof the beautiful things that God
is doing and has done.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
When you read that statistic or heard that
statistic, one of the thingsthat they said was, in
describing it, what has the mostimpact on your body?
What has the most impact inyour life?
Is it enough good things or isit limiting or not saying any
part of the negativity?
And it is, in fact, I think, anevidence of the spirit of God
(10:20):
Self-control, do not?
We have the power not torehearse the things that are
from before.
We even heard this in thescriptures this morning, but God
is doing a new thing.
So our endeavor today and we'llhear this in the words of Jesus
, as given to us also in thewords of Flory Beth for this
(10:41):
part make the beautiful, thestory.
This is what Jesus has done,even in coming.
For us, jesus is beauty,all-encompassing beauty, the
thoughts of love that you arereminded of, that you are
welcomed in the house of God,that you are welcomed in the
family of God, and this is agood news for us this morning,
(11:02):
that we would honor the presenceof love with us and the hope
that God is making all thingsnew.
I was standing outside in thebackyard and I was David was
helping me replant something andI was remembering a gardening
book that I was reading and myhands were deep in the dirt,
which I think is a type oftherapy, and you might want to
(11:24):
consider it.
Go outside without your shoeson.
Don't stand in the anth, whichI think is a type of therapy,
and you might want to considerit.
Go outside without your shoeson.
Don't stand in the ant hills.
That's a type of hell.
But you, to stand in the dirtto look up.
Maybe go at nighttime when youknow that there's no ants and
it's not so blazing hot, but tobe able to look at the stars, to
be able to listen to thewitness of nature, to be able to
listen to the birds sing andlift us up and remember that
(11:45):
we're part of something soincredibly beautiful.
But as my hands were deep inthis dirt, I was reminded that
hope smells like compost A lotof dead things, a lot of things
that were but is not anymore.
But that beloved is the smellof hope.
(12:05):
It is the smell of somethingbeing reborn.
It is the smell of the promiseof something coming again.
And in this story, when weapproach it this morning, there
is for us.
A big player in the story isactually fragrance.
A big player is how it makes usfeel and what it requires from
us.
So this morning, I remind youthat sometimes, if you feel like
(12:29):
your life is stinky, it's okay,it's just compost, and there is
a time when you plant the rightseeds that God will bring
something incredible andbeautiful.
So we go this morning to thebook of John, chapter 12.
I'll remind you that thisparticular story you've probably
heard it before is mentioned inall of the Gospels and I want
(12:52):
to remind you, as you alreadyknow, that there are many times
in the life of Jesus where he isanointed.
This is not all the sameanointing.
There is a specificity aboutthis particular anointing and
there's something reallyincredible I want to read from.
We're going to be in John, butI want to read from Matthew, as
(13:13):
if to tailor or produce this foryou.
This is what Jesus said inMatthew's version of the same
thing.
This is what Jesus said inMatthew's version of the same
thing In pouring this ointmenton my body, she has done it to
prepare me for burial and truly,I say to you, wherever this
(13:36):
gospel is proclaimed in thewhole world, what she has done
will also be told in memory ofher.
This is an essential story.
In fact, jesus said that asoften as the good news is
produced anywhere is spokenanywhere, this story also should
(13:59):
be told, and should be told asa memorial to Mary.
This language reminded me ofjust a week later in the story,
jesus is having dinner with hisfriends and he says I have so
wanted to have this meal withyou, and every time you do this,
do this in memorial of me.
But he had first given them thethe charge to.
(14:22):
When you're together and whenyou tell the stories, make the
story beautiful.
Make the beautiful the story.
But there is hope for us whenhe also says what she has done
will be given as a memorial forher.
Speaker 3 (14:38):
And I think that, without being a total spoiler to
this whole thing, we're goingto talk about what she did.
But I also want you to realize,in that culture and in that time
, what she did was wrong, it wasillegal, it was frowned upon,
(14:58):
it was inappropriate.
And you know, I think thatsomething is to be said about
our rules and our plans and ourway of doing things.
That seems right to a man, butit's not right at all.
(15:19):
What she did was so right inGod's eyes that it's
commemorated, that all of usknow about her and what she did.
It's not forgotten in time,it's not lost, it's in every
Gospel, because she decided toserve and do what was in her
(15:43):
heart, to do what she was drawnto do, despite what other people
are saying around her anddespite the potential
consequences.
I wonder if sometimes we'reheld back because of sometimes
religious notion or sometimesjust maybe a fear of what other
(16:06):
people might think and I'mchallenged by that because I'm
drawn to the desire to pleaseGod and for obedience and so
it's going to sometimes butt upagainst our culture and our
society or our religiousmisnomers.
(16:26):
Amen.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
Six days before the Passover celebration began.
You understand, this is rightbefore the Passion Week, this is
right before.
And so Jesus is fully awarethat his end is coming, that the
tide has turned against him andthat he will be killed.
And so this is six days beforehe goes back to Bethany, the
home of Lazarus, coming, thatthe tide has turned against him
and that he will be killed.
And so this is six days beforehe goes back to Bethany, the
home of Lazarus, a man he raisedfrom the dead.
(16:51):
So I remind you not to letthese words fall flat, because
this would have been a party.
I mean, we're going back to thehouse he raised him from the
dead and now he's like and thenyou know, come back right before
the Passover and we'llcelebrate this.
So I just want to tell you thiswould have been a celebration.
They would have told theirfriends oh, you know what, this
(17:12):
Lazarus that you see, that weall mourned and buried and put
away, and now is back.
Well, the man who raised himfrom the dead is coming.
And so this would have not beena discreet meal for four or
four, six.
This would have been an event.
We would have done what wecould, not only because it was
Passover it's part of theirreligious tradition, it's part
(17:32):
of the thing but the invitationwas into this joy, into this
celebration.
You have restored the family.
This was a big deal in manyways, not just in the family,
just in that unit, but the hopethat it restores to people, that
the family unit is restored,that God is coming and he's
bringing us back.
(17:52):
And so this is where we enterthe story.
A dinner was prepared in Jesus'honor.
I just want you to imagine whatthat would have looked like.
Your brother, who was dead, isnow brought back to life.
What would you have put out?
How would you have served this?
How you would have washed thelentils with so much care, how
(18:18):
you would have prepared that.
What wine you would have served.
There would have been beautyand intention in every part of
this meal that was served.
Martha served, and Lazarus wasamong those who ate with them.
This particular portion isimportant.
He was among those who ate withthem because many times in the
(18:39):
way people told stories back inthis particular time, they would
mention people that were around, but it was almost just a
memory of them.
It was considered like a ghostof them, except for when you say
a person ate with them.
Ghosts do not eat food, and soat least this is what I know and
the people that are around youthey may look like they've seen
(19:00):
a ghost, but the very fact thathe's eating is this retelling in
this story that he is a person,flesh breathing.
It's not just a memory of him,he is here with us.
In fact, a little bit later,jesus himself is raised from the
dead and the people are lookingat him like he was a ghost and
he said do you have anything toeat?
Because again he wants to showthem.
(19:22):
Because again he wants to showthem I am a real being here.
This matter matters to God, andso Martha is served, lazarus is
among those who ate with him,and Mary took a 12-ounce jar of
expensive perfume made from theessence of nard.
(19:42):
In the other verse, not intranslation, in the other gospel
, it says that it took a year'ssalary, that whatever your
salary was from the year.
This is how expensive this was,and she anointed Jesus's feet
with it, wiping his feet withher hair, and the house was
filled with the fragrance.
So I want to tell you that youalso would have experienced it.
(20:06):
I mean what the scene issetting here, and I think
sometimes the way that we readthings is a little tame.
I would like to invite you torewild the story with me.
I would like to use your holyimagination and my holy
imagination to remember whatwould have always been in our
mind was I was there when theyburied that man.
I was there when Lazarus was inthe tomb.
I was there when Mary wasweeping.
(20:29):
Now we're going to see Mary hereat many points in this
particular story because this isa memorial to her.
But she is at the feet of Jesusa lot.
She's at the feet of Jesus as astudent.
She listens and calls him herrabbi and in fact Jesus commends
her and says what she is doingwill never be taken from her.
She is to be the student.
(20:50):
Here we see Mary crying whenher brother has died and her
beloved Jesus has not come torescue her.
I mean, she is outside when shesees him on her knees weeping.
If you would have come, I justthink this would have been a
different story.
And she's there weeping andJesus bows next to her and weeps
(21:11):
with her Beloved.
We have a God who weeps with us.
We have a beautiful Savior whoreminds us that pain is a part
of living, but it does not meanthat you are alone.
It does not mean that you arealone.
It does not mean that you areabandoned.
It does not mean that therewon't be something beautiful
that comes from this story.
(21:32):
But in this house, you wouldhave not been able to look away
from the wildness that was washappening, with Mary touching
Jesus, just weeping and touching, and weeping and touching.
And maybe you went to look awaybecause you're like, oh, I
don't want to look at her.
This is embarrassing herextravagance.
(21:54):
But you would have beensmelling this nard you know, and
and it's not.
Speaker 3 (22:00):
You know, the idea of anointing is not unusual, but
but what?
is is being anointed at yourfeet, because kings who are
anointed, they're on their head.
You know and there's a kind ofa pride thing in that that you
(22:23):
don't see here that you knowthat jesus was anointed
differently, because this is adifferent kind of king, this is
not a king that lords over you,but this is a king that serves
you.
You know, and and uh, and thenkings were anointed by the high
priest or other kings, and sofor this servant, uh, to to
(22:49):
anoint, uh, was something thatsome people would want to look
away or consider a shame, but init it's for us so many lessons.
You know the lesson ofobedience, the less.
The lesson of sacrifice, ofgiving everything.
Imagine a year's salary giventowards that.
(23:09):
But where is your gratitude?
For?
You know, in that culture whowould have really been the?
You know the breadwinner in thehouse, but the brother.
You know Lazarus, and so he'sbeen returned, and so of course,
we can see the generosity, butdo we allow our hearts to be
(23:34):
open in such a way that werealize what we have been given
and what we've been set free of?
And so there is for us thisexample of how and where we
(23:59):
would bring our anointing.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
Like you, if you would like to support the
ongoing work of First LoveChurch and the continued work of
our podcast, visit us online atfirstlovechurchorg, reminding
you to like, follow andsubscribe.
Mary took the 12-ounce jar ofexpensive perfume made from the
essence of nard and she anointedJesus's feet with it, and then
(24:21):
she wiped his feet with her hair, and then she wiped his feet
with her hair.
You have to get really up closeand personal with someone to
dry their feet with the tearsthat you have already put in it.
Thank you.
I'm sure that word was used amillion times.
I'm sure there were other wordstoo.
(24:42):
She was a friend of Jesus.
She saw him as a teacher.
But thank you.
Thank you for not leaving me tocry alone when my brother dies.
Thank you for standing by thetomb and petitioning heaven.
Thank you for being angry withme that this is not right.
(25:02):
Thank you for letting me hearthe words another way, thank you
, thank you.
And with her own sorrow, shewashes the feet of the Christ
because she sees him for who heis.
I can't imagine how beautifulhe looked through that wild hair
(25:24):
that she had and through herown tears and through this
incredible oil.
But thank you, thank you forcoming.
Thank you.
This is one of my favoritestories has been since I was a
tiny little girl.
I just felt like theextravagance of the story really
drew me in.
Like if you're going to go onand say I see you, I love you,
(25:47):
thank you, I mean get on yourknees and weep this act of
devotion that calls us intosomething greater.
I have loved this story and Iwant to remind all of us when
anyone is worshiping out ofdevotion, it would behoove us
never to judge them.
You do not know the cost ofwhat happened, you do not know
(26:09):
what they are being thankful forunless they share it with you.
But people's extravagance here,and I want to show you in just a
moment, a good disciple isgoing to criticize her for her
extravagance.
He is going to start doingchurchy things and start looking
at what she's doing and going.
Oh, that's just too much.
That extravagance is too much.
(26:29):
And maybe this story seems faraway from you, but for years in
my own life my brother wastrapped in addiction and for all
purposes he was dead.
And one day Jesus met up withhim and my brother is healed and
sober, and my brother has beenbrought back.
(26:51):
So when I sing loudly here andwhen I sing loudly everywhere
else, thank you, thank you,thank you.
Thank you for not just mybrother, but for all brothers,
for every person who suffers andsomeone weeps for them.
There is a god who we areseeing, and together we offer
(27:11):
extravagant worship, hopefulworship tell the beautiful story
.
Speaker 3 (27:20):
You know, this is, this is her opportunity, and the
spirit of gratitude is what shechose.
And it's expensive.
It's expensive, it costs yousomething to find gratitude in
(27:41):
the noisy ceiling fan, but it'salways there and there's always
an opportunity to tell thebeautiful story, but we miss it
in our.
You know, sometimes it's justto have a topic.
What do you want to talk about,noisy ceiling fans?
(28:04):
Or can we stir up gratitude andfind the beauty in what we've
been given?
Because when you do that, whatdo I?
What are you thankful for?
What if we went around the room?
You'd begin oh, that was mine,it was taken, I better think of
another one.
And you'd begin to press in andstart to, and all of a sudden
(28:25):
there was things that you hadnot even thought of.
Or someone says something thatyou're like oh, I have that in
common with them and I didn'teven realize that I should be
grateful for that.
I could be grateful for that.
What if we told that story andthat became our habit as a
church, as people?
We were the kind of people thatcelebrated God like that on a
(28:49):
regular basis.
Let's don't dream about thatlike it's a fantasy, but let's
begin to implement that as areality.
Speaker 1 (28:55):
I hear in the words that Laurie Beth Jones offered
us make the beautiful the story.
There is an invitation toactually change things.
There's an invitation totransform it In fact, what Sue
read this morning in Isaiah 58,where there are hungry people,
feed them.
Now you have made that thebeautiful the story.
The hunger is no longer thestory.
You have made the beautifulwhen you are the person giving
(29:16):
out the goodness of God Judas,iscariot, the disciple who would
soon betray him.
I remind you that this text iswritten about 400 years after
the actual event, so there's alot in the story.
This is not like a first-handevent, this is not an eyewitness
, and I am distressed at how wejust remind people over and over
(29:39):
again.
This is the guy who reallymesses up.
I mean, this is the guy who,when it came down to it, is
responsible for this, and wekeep rehearsing this part of
this.
Mean.
This is the guy who, when itcame down to it, is responsible
for this, and we keep rehearsingthis part of this is judas, the
one who would soon betray him Iwould like to interject to here
, though, that we're notsuggesting that you pretend like
there was no judas in yourstory oh no, absolutely, thank
(30:00):
you it's just, you know, we'renot going to go on.
Speaker 3 (30:03):
Yeah, judas, you know that guy, he was always pulling
stuff around you.
You know we're not going to goon.
Yeah, judas, you know that guy,he was always pulling stuff
around.
You know what else he did?
Oh, yeah, and I saw him do thisand I bet he was probably doing
that.
It's like the older brother.
Last week he goes.
You know, he wasted all themoney, you know, with the
hookers.
You know the Bible never saidthat he is interjecting.
(30:25):
What he probably would have did, had the money.
It was like take care of it easy, with your heart there.
You exposed it, uh, with yourown accusations, you know.
And so better to pull back onthis kind of stuff, you know.
But but it's not to say thatthere's not a sorrow in in my
story and that we would pretendand I think that's the thing
that god's never asking us topretend like something never
happened.
But it's just, to where is yourfocus going to be?
You see, and my focus, and I'mtelling you this, is
(30:49):
transformative.
Even if you don't get yourstuff back right away, you still
get to live in joy and itdoesn't get to rob from you
further, or every time I read toyou, every time you tell a
story again and all suddenyou're retroubled, you're re
angered, and all sudden you'reyou're.
(31:09):
You know what's happening inyour body.
You're really inventing itagain.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
So this is Judas, our beloved brother.
Let's call him that becausethat is who he is, and let us
practice his innocence.
He was picked by Judas, byJesus, to follow him, and he was
a friend.
And sometimes friends treat uspoorly, but that doesn't mean
that they're not a friend.
And sometimes friends get us introuble and betray us.
But we can choose another wayand make the beautiful the story
(31:38):
.
So Mary is in her extravagance,weeping, wiping his feet with
her hair, and Judas's responseto her extravagant devotion is
that perfume was worth a year'swages.
It should have been sold andthe money given to the poor.
(31:58):
I remind you, this is part oftheir tradition.
In fact, all the way back inDeuteronomy, god said the poor
that are around you are yourresponsibility and in fact, they
will always be here unless youset up systems that will allow
them an equity.
You are responsible for the pooramong you.
(32:20):
You are responsible for theforeigner among you.
In fact, it matters how youfarm, because the edges were to
be left for someone who didn'thave the land and didn't have
the tools and didn't have thestrength that they could come in
and just take what they needed.
This was the plan from Godsince the beginning of these
(32:42):
people, and so Judas isreferencing this very ancient
rule.
He's referencing yeah, we knowthis is how God wants it and she
should have done what Godwanted her to do.
Now he's sitting there, beloved, beloved child of God, beloved
brother, and all he is doing iscriticizing how she is living
(33:07):
her life in extravagant devotion.
Speaker 3 (33:09):
It's so easy to tell someone else or to decide how
someone else should handle theirresources, and really the
responsibility is for us, withours.
And I just want you to look atthat, because what he's
referring to is the law thateverybody else understood and
knew, and so in that way she'sbreaking it by being the woman
who's ministering and all ofthese things that that culture
(33:31):
was looking at negative.
But I want to ask you aquestion have you ever heard
something and you just know,it's right, you ever.
You know what I'm talking about,that that inside, whatever you
want to call it, intuition orjust a knowing or or a sense, I
want, I want you to recall atime where, where you had that
(33:51):
happen.
And then now we've also hadother things where people give
us information and thatinformation lines up with other
information.
But that knowing, that knowing,is when my heart is in, tuned
(34:12):
with the spirit and my brainstops becoming a hard drive for
information and now becomes areceptor for the Holy Spirit.
And so I want to describe whathas happened to you many times
in your life, but you justdidn't know that all of a sudden
(34:33):
, my mind, I quit using it justto gather facts, and all of a
sudden now it becomes thisantenna and then my heart is the
radio dial and so I keep myheart connected.
And then when you get togetherwith somebody with like spirit
and they say something, likeGloria Beth Jones said there,
(34:54):
and it just rings, how do youknow that's true?
Do I have any information toback that up?
No, but I know that I know.
And so I want to challenge youthat because the know, that you
know, is the ultimate confidence.
Because imagine you were maryin the room and the guys are
speaking now and they're theones who rule the show in this
(35:16):
culture.
Huh, I can't imagine what thatwould be like.
And all of a sudden he calls herout and so everybody it's a
record scratch.
And she's in the middle ofLooks at Jesus.
What's he going to do?
You know, because there is thatplace where I've stepped out.
(35:40):
I believe in my heart this iswhat I should do.
You know, we're going to readon what Jesus says, but to see
that, imagine what it would feellike to be confirmed, to be
(36:00):
affirmed, that you stepping out,even going against the norm.
I've had situations like thathappen for me and it is so
thrilling to finally hear youknow that, son, daughter, you're
doing right, you're beingobedient.
Yeah, you might be kickingagainst the goes.
(36:23):
I was talking to my sonyesterday about how frustrating
it is at times to do what'sright and still not see that
benefit come back in.
But there's times where Godwill confirm that.
And look what happens here.
Speaker 1 (36:38):
So Judas says the perfume was worth a year's wages
.
That should have been sold andthe money given to the poor.
Not that he cared for the poor.
So the truth was, the rule wasthere, but the rule did not
transform him.
The rule did not inform eventhe way that he lived his life.
He was a thief and since he wasin charge of the disciples'
(37:01):
money, he often stole some forhimself.
We see later in the story thathe has ideas that money and
power go very much together andhe goes to power and he receives
money from that power and hebetrays Jesus.
And then it is that money thathe throws back when he realizes
that is not the way.
It is that money that causeshim to make choices for his own
(37:25):
death.
But Jesus replies to someonelooking at this extravagant life
and going no, there's a rule,we could have done it another
way.
And Jesus said leave her alone.
That's still the word of Christfor us today.
It's as relevant today as itwas 2,000 years ago.
(37:48):
Leave her alone.
She did this in preparation formy burial and that's exactly
like what Pastor Dennis remindsus of.
She doesn't know, not to anyextent, the horror that will
endure.
There's some beautiful things,that you can do your own
research on nard and what itdoes for the human body.
(38:08):
And he was going to suffer andI'm going to tell you the next
time that they're all together.
It's not going to smell likethis.
It is going to smell likerotting flesh.
It is going to smell like bloodmixed with dirt and sweat.
It is going to be terrible.
And Jesus said I needed this.
What she did, she did for me inpreparation for this incredible
(38:34):
thing that I'm going to do.
And when he said burial, hemeant in about a week, 10 days,
and they thought way far off.
He knew what was coming andJesus says leave her alone.
Speaker 3 (38:49):
I think there's something very important too,
because Jesus is always achampion of the poor, so this
isn't a situation where he'ssaying, yeah, this time, you
know, do for me instead of thoseold poor people.
The truth is, he understandsthe abundance of God.
Yes, that there isn't a choicethat has to be made between you
(39:11):
having something or poor peoplehaving something.
That's the craziest part is wehave enough to share.
All of us do Share what it isyou have.
Yes, you know, give it all awayand there's plenty for for the
things that you have need of,but it's not the things that I
have want of, because it turnsout there's never going to be
enough for the things that Ihave want of.
(39:32):
Because I mean, I rememberworking for this guy and he was
a multi-millionaire and he wouldnever even go out on the sales
floor anymore.
He would sit in his office andjust buy stuff and then all of a
sudden the trailer would comeup and there'd be a race car
like a you know sports car, andthen he'd drive that home and
something and he was buyingboats and he was just you know.
(39:53):
And then you know you think toyourself well, if you had that
kind of money, things would be alittle bit easier.
No, because your want alwaysoutdoes your bank account.
But your needs, you know thoseare handled.
And so if we could shift, if hesat in his office and thought
(40:14):
about how he could bless hissalesman, maybe I'd still be
there shift.
If he sat in his office andthought about how he could bless
his salesman, maybe I'd stillbe there.
No, I just.
But I mean, what if we didshift though?
If you know, I'm sitting aroundshopping.
I found myself for years likelike that's what I did as a
hobby.
I went on Facebook marketplaceand just looked for stuff, and
he didn't know I wanted it untilhe saw it and then all of a
(40:36):
sudden, I desired it and thenfigured out a way to get it.
I know I'm the only personthat's done that, but what if we
could then just stop that raceand focus on the things?
How can we serve?
How can we give a little more?
How can we share?
Nobody likes that preachingHeather.
What am I going?
Speaker 1 (40:54):
to do.
It's a good word they are.
It's transforming.
Jesus then says you will alwayshave the poor among you and
this is again in reference tothe verses in Deuteronomy but he
reminds them you won't alwayshave me.
This is important.
What she's doing now, thepresent moment, matters.
(41:15):
It's good that we've heard allthe way since Deuteronomy, for
thousands of years, that this isthe way God wanted things done,
but right now, in this moment,her response to the presence of
the holy is extravagant devotion.
What does it look like for us?
Because, in our imagination, Ifeel like all of us who have
experienced the love of Godwould say to each other I would
(41:41):
thank Jesus for those things andI would be moved, probably with
compassion.
But he is not present hereamong us, beloved in the
physical form.
He is here in spirit, but he ishere in each one of us, your
brothers and sisters, each humanbearing an image of the divine,
(42:01):
each person not only made fromGod but made of God, each person
with such dignity because weare made in the plan, in the
thought, in the hope that Godhas for the world.
There is an invitation for usto listen to the words of Jesus,
(42:25):
who said to us and as often asyou hear my story or this good
news that God is coming, payattention to the story of Mary,
because right here she made itbeautiful.
Right here, right before thingswill get terrible, she made it
(42:49):
beautiful.
She makes it beautiful again inquite a few places.
But Jesus says, when my story istold, her story would be told
in memory of her.
Why should we remember her?
We remember not only herdevotion in this one place, but
we look at her as a path.
What does it look like for usto live like we have?
(43:12):
Devotion to the Christ, to theconsciousness?
That reminds us there's anotherway to live, beloved, there's a
higher thought.
You are to love God, loveyourself and love your neighbor.
That love is to be the path allthe time.
It is loving, right beforeJesus goes to suffer like he did
(43:32):
to care for him.
It is loving for us to have oureyes changed.
It is loving for us to joinwith heaven.
One of the things that I did.
Speaker 3 (43:46):
You want to say something I did because you know
, you and I were talking aboutthis week, about how, a week
later, jesus says somethingsimilar when he says do this in
memory of me.
And so there's this.
You know this was done and shewill be remembered, and he's
asking us to remember.
There's an importance in ourremembering, you know, because
(44:09):
why you and I have a tendency toforget.
That is something that's verynatural for us to do.
I don't want to forget that.
That sacrifice means something.
I don't want to forget thatlaying down my life is important
, that weeping and washing hisfeet with my hair is important.
(44:29):
I don't want to forget what hehas done for us.
I don't want to forget thesacrifice that was made on
Calvary.
I don't want to forget thebroken body.
I don't want to forget thesacrifice that was made on
Calvary.
I don't want to forget thebroken body.
I don't want to forget the shedblood.
I don't want to forget thatdaily bread the thing that I
have need of that is offered tome.
But I have a tendency to forgetthat, and so I need to be
(44:51):
reminded, I need to rehearse, Ineed to share.
I tell you what.
That's a beautiful way to learn.
It's in your sharing.
Don't wait until you knoweverything to start sharing.
Share what it is that you knowand watch God just you know and
make the beautiful story.
That's what we share.
Speaker 1 (45:12):
This is our hope, beloved.
We can make this world abeautiful place, not by our own
thoughts, but our prayer thatsays may your kingdom come.
May your will be done on earthas it is in heaven.
We are invited into thisrenewal project that the Spirit
is doing.
The intention of God has alwaysbeen and is to make all things
(45:33):
new, and our participation inmaking the beautiful the story
is our participation in liningup with how God is telling this
story.
We are joining, we'reco-authoring, we're offering our
hands and our feet, but we joinwith not only the church since
the beginning, but we join withbrothers and sisters all around
(45:56):
the world as we celebrate HolyCommunion, and what we are about
to do may be the most importantthing that we've done together.
As we are here, we arecelebrating this table, this
sanctity, this holiness, thissacred meal.
Speaker 3 (46:12):
All right, I just want to piggyback on what you
said.
As we go into communion is thatyou have this opportunity to
not just tell the beautifulstory but make the beauty around
you, and I can say that withall confidence, because God has
said that he's placed his spiritwithin you as followers of
(46:34):
Christ.
Christ lives in us, and so Ithink somehow we have been duped
and we have undervalued our ownpotential, our own potential
power in our, in our lives andin this world.
You know, we think to ourselveswell, if I'm going to make a
(46:56):
difference, I'm going to have torun for some office, or I'm
going to have to get some job orget some income.
I'll tell you a quick storythat happened to Heather and I.
But all these years ago we livedin Chicago and we had a
beautiful house in the suburbsand we were two of the most
unhappy people you'd ever meet.
(47:16):
We were stirring whether weshould start the church or not,
and it was the first time everthat the lottery ever got to
$365 million.
And so I was driving down theroad and I looked at that
billboard and it said $365million.
(47:43):
And God said well, if you hadthat money, what would you do.
And I said, well, I'd leavethis house and I would just go
down to Florida and start thatchurch.
And then God said to me so ifyou had $365 million, you'd
(48:06):
start the church.
And I'm like, yeah, and at thispoint I'm getting ready to pull
over and write down the lotterynumbers because I thought I was
getting it.
And instead God said to me wellthen, money's your God and not
me.
And all of a sudden it madeperfect sense If I had $365
(48:26):
million, I'd start the church.
But I have God, and that's notenough.
I need that, and $365 million,apparently.
Or is that all I ever neededwas God?
I need that, and $365 million,apparently.
Or is that all I ever neededwas God?
And so I, like any good husband, went home and proposed the
(48:48):
question to Heather.
I said, heather, if you wonthat lottery, what would you do
with the money?
And then she pulled a Heather.
Why do you ask, what would youdo?
I said, don't tell me.
And she said, well, I'd go downto Florida and start that
church.
And I said, well then.
Speaker 1 (49:05):
He did.
Speaker 3 (49:06):
He did.
I've grown so much since then.
I said, well then, woman,money's your God, not the living
God.
I made it all religious.
And then we looked at oneanother and we said, well then,
and we put the house up for saleand probably wasn't for sale a
week and we came down here andwe got here on a thursday.
(49:27):
We started this church on asunday.
We didn't even let a week go byand even during hurricanes
we've had its service every timethe doors are open for and
we've been feeding the poor.
Speaker 1 (49:41):
And we've been preaching what we know to be the
way of Jesus.
We made some declarations thismorning in our worship.
Speaker 3 (49:44):
We're choosing the Jesus way.
But I just want to do youunderstand why I told that story
.
Because I found out in a realhard way that you can do the
hard things.
You can do the hard things.
You can do the impossiblethings if you remember what the
lottery numbers are.
Speaker 1 (50:00):
No, no, that wasn't the point of this story.
Speaker 3 (50:03):
So remember you have God and we undersell that in
ourselves and then we don't dowhat the potential is for you
and I to really live in and do.
Speaker 1 (50:19):
Let me respond and remind everyone that we did have
God, but it took something ofours.
We wanted what we had, andextra we wanted what we had.
And then for God to show upwith something else too and I
remind you of the story of theSamaritan to show up with
something else too, and I remindyou of the story of the
Samaritan, this recently we'vetalked about, where he takes
(50:40):
this beaten and battered man andhe puts him on his donkey and
he takes him to.
It will cost us something, andthis is the way of Mary.
This is the memorial that Jesusis talking about.
It will cost you something tobe a peacemaker.
It will cost you something tobe a peacemaker.
It will cost you something tothink differently than everyone
around you.
It will cost you something tosee him for who he is.
(51:04):
Mary saw Jesus.
She really saw him, and in theseeing of him she responded with
worship.
That is absolutely appropriate,although other people may not
see it.
Speaker 3 (51:21):
I love that.
The way of Mary and the way ofJudas is hey, somebody else's
money should take care of thepoor.
Well, there's more people thatare more, so think about that.
Where are we?
Are we listening to that voicethat would tell us how we can
affect the world around us?
Or are we looking at the wholething and saying, well, I can't
(51:42):
do all that, so I'm going to donothing, or I'm just going to
try to spend someone else'smoney?
Oh, you've been given whatyou've been given to share.
That's better preaching there,amen.
Speaker 1 (51:54):
I think the way of Mary is a way of seeing, and I
think what the Holy Spirit wantsto offer us is another way of
seeing.
In fact, it is part of Jesus'sministry where he healed the
eyes of people and you, belovedas I, might be blind in ways
that we do not know.
So, opening ourselves up tospirit and asking the spirit,
show me how you see this and howI can be a part.
(52:16):
Show me how you see this.
One of the things that Silasdoes and as the youngest of my
five children, I relish verymuch the fact that he is with us
, present and available, andvery often when I say something
to him, he can probably tellwith an inflection or a tone, as
you do when you're aroundsomeone for a long time, and
I'll say we need to do this, andan act of generosity that he
(52:40):
has given to me that tells methat he loves me in such
beautiful ways is he comes andhe'll stand close to me and
he'll go.
I see what you see.
Isn't that what all of us want?
Do you see what I see?
And isn't this what Mary didfor Jesus?
(53:02):
I see what you see.
There's good to be given andeven if it costs you your whole
life, it matters.
May we join this morning withspirit and offering ourselves.
Help me see what you seeregarding my neighbors,
regarding our city, regarding myspouse, regarding my family.
Speaker 3 (53:22):
Help me see what you see and help us remember it, and
I think that's what Jesus'spoint is here.
You know this is.
This will be commemorated.
We'll remember what it is why,are we reminded because?
Because it's important to seethe way Jesus is To walk the
path of Mary, not the path ofJudas.
(53:43):
We need to remember thesethings.
Speaker 1 (53:47):
Jesus said I am the way, I am the truth, I am life.
The prophet Jeremiah said thisStop where you are, stand in the
crossroads and ask for theancient paths.
Ask for the ancient ways, forin them you will find rest for
your souls.
There is for us an invitationinto the ancient paths.
(54:13):
There's a beautiful, verycurrent story called the
Mandalorian.
I don't know if you'reinterested.
I think it's a beautiful story.
You might consider it.
It's a way he's the hero andthe Mandalorian is a way that he
lives.
It's choice.
And every time he comes upagainst something that is too
(54:33):
big, too hard, will cost twomonths, he simply says it is the
way.
The way of Mary calls us intodevotion.
The way of Mary calls us intotenderness.
The way of Mary calls us intoan embodied feeling.
It's not just an esotericmoment, it is hands-on.
(54:54):
It is when you're sufferingwith someone and you show up at
their house to suffer with themevery day.
It is taking food to the poor.
It is bringing help to the sick.
It is being attention to ourneighbors.
It is living another way.
And this morning, the way ofMary also joins us in the way of
Jesus, who is telling us thisis how you embody the way of
(55:17):
Jesus.
Mary is not another way.
She is the same way and she isan exemplary, a witness to us of
this is what it looks like tofollow Devotion, humility.
Giving the cost up there is forus a plan into really giving
(55:38):
ourselves to the way of Jesus.
We hope you've enjoyed thisweek's sermon.
If you would like moreinformation about us, visit us
online at firstlovechurchorg.
Welcome to the First Love Church podcast.
This is a collection of Sundayteachings inspired by the
Revised Common Lectionary andrecorded weekly in Ocala Florida
.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Good morning.
I'm going to be reading fromthe New American Standard Cry
loudly, do not hold back.
Raise your voice like a trumpetand declare to my people their
transgression and to the houseof Jacob their sins.
Yet they seek me day by day anddelight to know my ways as a
(00:33):
nation that has donerighteousness and has not
forsaken the ordinance of theirGod.
They ask me for just decisions.
They delight in the newness ofGod.
Why have we fasted and you donot see?
Why have we humbled ourselvesand you do not notice?
Behold, on the day of your fast, you find your desire and drive
(00:55):
hard all your workers.
Behold, you fast for contentionand strife and to strike with
the wicked fist.
You do not fast like you dotoday to make your voice heard
on high.
It is a fast like this which Ichoose, a day for a man to
humble himself.
Is it for the bowing of one'shead like a reed and for
(01:18):
spreading out sackcloth andashes as a bed?
Will you call this a fast, evenan acceptable day to the Lord?
Is this not the fast which Ichoose to loosen the bonds of
wickedness, to undo the bands ofthe yoke and to let the
oppressed go free and breakevery yoke.
(01:38):
Is it not to divide your breadwith the hungry and bring the
homeless poor into the house?
When you see the naked, tocover him and not to hide
yourself from your own flesh?
Then your light will break outlike the dawn and your recovery
will speedily spring forth andyour righteousness will go
before you.
(01:58):
The glory of the lord will beyour rear guard.
Then you will call and the lordwill be your rear guard.
Then you will call and the Lordwill answer.
You will cry and he will sayhere I am.
If you remove the yoke from yourmidst, the pointing of the
finger and speaking wickedness,and if you give yourself to the
hungry and satisfy the devourerof the afflicted, then your
(02:20):
light will rise in darkness andyour gloom will become like
midday.
And the Lord will continuallyguide you and satisfy your
desire in scorched places andgive strength to your bones.
And you will be like a wateredgarden, like a spring of water
whose waters do not fail.
(02:41):
Those who are among you willrebuild the ancient ruins, you
will raise up the age-oldfoundations and you will be
called the repairer of thebreach, the restorer of the
streets in which to dwell.
If, because of the Sabbath, youturn your foot from doing your
own pleasure on my holy day andcall the Sabbath a delight, the
(03:02):
holy day of the Lord honorable,and honor it, desisting from
your own ways, from seeking yourown pleasure and speaking your
own word.
Then you will take delight inthe Lord and I will make you
ride on the heights of the earthand I will feed you with the
heritage of Jacob, your father.
For the mouth of the Lord hasspoken.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Lord.
This is the word of the Lord.
Thank you Again.
We're so grateful for yourpresence here this morning.
I was in a conversation withLori Beth Jones, and what an
honor it is to be in aconversation with her, but also
she's an incredible author.
(03:45):
If you don't know her books, Iwould recommend them, and one of
the books that she has is JesusCEO.
And one of the things that shesaid in this recent conversation
was make the beautiful thestory.
Sometimes, when we'redescribing our own life, we
forget to make the beautiful thestory.
Sometimes we make the heartachethe story.
(04:07):
Sometimes we make the betrayalthe story, and the invitation
into this beautiful practice isfor all of us make the beautiful
the story.
What you are retelling yourselfis one of the reasons why we
worship together is we retellthe good story.
Oh, it's sweet to trust in Jesus.
(04:28):
Oh for grace, to trust him more.
We are telling the beautifulstory, and so this is an
invitation to us in the way thatwe are even going to read the
scriptures this morning for thispart of Lent, I remind you, in
the past few weeks we have suchbeautiful imagery that we are
asked to join in and to rememberwhere we are asked to remember
(04:50):
the father who has two sons andone of the sons runs and does
whatever he pleases, and theimage that we have is a father
who, elbows flapping, is runningto get this son who is lost.
And this father who, elbowsflapping, is running to get this
son who is lost.
And this father who, with joy,goes out and says to the older
brother who's there, please comeinto the joy, come into the
(05:14):
party.
Your brother, my son that waslost is now found and we see
these images of joy, we seethese images of hope and we're
hearing this beautiful story aswe head into Holy Week and into
the practice of resurrection.
This is, for us, a actualpractice.
How do we become a people whomake the beautiful the story?
Speaker 3 (05:38):
You know.
I just wanted to comment onthat because I've been in church
a long time and people havetheir opportunities for their
testimonies and if you've everbeen to a testimony service,
many times it gets to thisreally long story about all the
things that the devil did, and20 minutes of this big, long
story and then at the end theygo and God healed me and God
(06:01):
gets like the cliff notes at theend of it, you know, and God
gets like the cliff notes at theend of it, you know.
And I wonder how much of ourlife we rehearse the negative
and forget to rejoice in thebeautiful, to really make that
the main part of the story.
Amen.
And recently I was listening toa statistic and it was so
(06:23):
powerful I shared it with thefamily as soon as I heard it
because, you know it brought upthe question what do you think
is more effective Lessnegativity spoken or more
positivity spoken over you?
What would be more powerful?
(06:43):
Yeah, it's not a trick, it'sjust what I mean.
Okay, well, I would think thattoo.
What would be more powerful?
It's not a trick, it's justwhatever you need, okay.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
Well.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
I would think that too, but it's absolutely not the
case.
It's not that you can dump morepositive, it's you have to, and
this is it's not even likeclose.
It's the thing.
If you could have learnedsomething, because coming to
church isn't just some cutething we do and all you just do
it so you can get a little meritfrom God.
God intends for us to gettogether as a family and learn
(07:16):
and grow and be transformed Amen.
We've been given these talentsand one day we're going to
return them to Him and we'relike oh, I buried them or no, I
did something with them.
And you've been given this lifeand what do we do with it?
Sometimes we just set innegativity or we rehearse what
happened.
You know, I found myself doingit, in fact, right here in this
church building a couple weeksago.
I was talking to somebody howare you doing?
(07:40):
And I started to tell a storyBecause I'm so used to telling
negative things.
And now I just what was mybenefit?
Maybe I want you to feel badfor me or join my misery, or do
I want to share or dump on you?
Why do we do that?
I think we're trained torehearse our sorrows.
(08:00):
We're trained to just lead withthat and I'm telling you, make
the beautiful thing Our sorrows.
We're trained to just lead withthat and I'm telling you, make
the beautiful thing.
It so resonated with Heatherand I this week and it's a way
that we could find something,because I mean, it happened this
morning in our dressing room.
Heather and I are in there andwe got a ceiling fan in there
(08:24):
and it's way too big of aceiling fan for that room system
, but if your wife is?
in menopause.
It's not big enough fan, and sothis giant airplane thing is
flying over our heads in thedressing room, oh whoa, and it
makes this engine noise.
It's's just an electric ceilingfan, but it's grinding over
(08:47):
here and I'm sitting there andI'm like, oh, that fan drives me
crazy.
And Heather said or, we can bethankful that we have air
blowing on us and that we haveelectricity and that we have a
fan.
And she started and all of asudden, you're right.
Sometimes we get mad at theother person because they're
(09:10):
right, instead of going thankyou for making the beautiful
thing, the story.
Now, I know I'm the only onethat does this, and so the whole
church service is anintervention that you're all
here to fix me.
Thank you, or maybe could allof us really recognize how much,
(09:36):
and Lord, are you willing to godown this rabbit hole?
Lord, show me where I'm makingthe negative thing, my badge and
my story and my glory, insteadof the beautiful things that God
is doing and has done.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
When you read that statistic or heard that
statistic, one of the thingsthat they said was, in
describing it, what has the mostimpact on your body?
What has the most impact inyour life?
Is it enough good things or isit limiting or not saying any
part of the negativity?
And it is, in fact, I think, anevidence of the spirit of God
(10:20):
Self-control, do not?
We have the power not torehearse the things that are
from before.
We even heard this in thescriptures this morning, but God
is doing a new thing.
So our endeavor today and we'llhear this in the words of Jesus
, as given to us also in thewords of Flory Beth for this
(10:41):
part make the beautiful, thestory.
This is what Jesus has done,even in coming.
For us, jesus is beauty,all-encompassing beauty, the
thoughts of love that you arereminded of, that you are
welcomed in the house of God,that you are welcomed in the
family of God, and this is agood news for us this morning,
(11:02):
that we would honor the presenceof love with us and the hope
that God is making all thingsnew.
I was standing outside in thebackyard and I was David was
helping me replant something andI was remembering a gardening
book that I was reading and myhands were deep in the dirt,
which I think is a type oftherapy, and you might want to
(11:24):
consider it.
Go outside without your shoeson.
Don't stand in the anth, whichI think is a type of therapy,
and you might want to considerit.
Go outside without your shoeson.
Don't stand in the ant hills.
That's a type of hell.
But you, to stand in the dirtto look up.
Maybe go at nighttime when youknow that there's no ants and
it's not so blazing hot, but tobe able to look at the stars, to
be able to listen to thewitness of nature, to be able to
listen to the birds sing andlift us up and remember that
(11:45):
we're part of something soincredibly beautiful.
But as my hands were deep inthis dirt, I was reminded that
hope smells like compost A lotof dead things, a lot of things
that were but is not anymore.
But that beloved is the smellof hope.
(12:05):
It is the smell of somethingbeing reborn.
It is the smell of the promiseof something coming again.
And in this story, when weapproach it this morning, there
is for us.
A big player in the story isactually fragrance.
A big player is how it makes usfeel and what it requires from
us.
So this morning, I remind youthat sometimes, if you feel like
(12:29):
your life is stinky, it's okay,it's just compost, and there is
a time when you plant the rightseeds that God will bring
something incredible andbeautiful.
So we go this morning to thebook of John, chapter 12.
I'll remind you that thisparticular story you've probably
heard it before is mentioned inall of the Gospels and I want
(12:52):
to remind you, as you alreadyknow, that there are many times
in the life of Jesus where he isanointed.
This is not all the sameanointing.
There is a specificity aboutthis particular anointing and
there's something reallyincredible I want to read from.
We're going to be in John, butI want to read from Matthew, as
(13:13):
if to tailor or produce this foryou.
This is what Jesus said inMatthew's version of the same
thing.
This is what Jesus said inMatthew's version of the same
thing In pouring this ointmenton my body, she has done it to
prepare me for burial and truly,I say to you, wherever this
(13:36):
gospel is proclaimed in thewhole world, what she has done
will also be told in memory ofher.
This is an essential story.
In fact, jesus said that asoften as the good news is
produced anywhere is spokenanywhere, this story also should
(13:59):
be told, and should be told asa memorial to Mary.
This language reminded me ofjust a week later in the story,
jesus is having dinner with hisfriends and he says I have so
wanted to have this meal withyou, and every time you do this,
do this in memorial of me.
But he had first given them thethe charge to.
(14:22):
When you're together and whenyou tell the stories, make the
story beautiful.
Make the beautiful the story.
But there is hope for us whenhe also says what she has done
will be given as a memorial forher.
Speaker 3 (14:38):
And I think that, without being a total spoiler to
this whole thing, we're goingto talk about what she did.
But I also want you to realize,in that culture and in that time
, what she did was wrong, it wasillegal, it was frowned upon,
(14:58):
it was inappropriate.
And you know, I think thatsomething is to be said about
our rules and our plans and ourway of doing things.
That seems right to a man, butit's not right at all.
(15:19):
What she did was so right inGod's eyes that it's
commemorated, that all of usknow about her and what she did.
It's not forgotten in time,it's not lost, it's in every
Gospel, because she decided toserve and do what was in her
(15:43):
heart, to do what she was drawnto do, despite what other people
are saying around her anddespite the potential
consequences.
I wonder if sometimes we'reheld back because of sometimes
religious notion or sometimesjust maybe a fear of what other
(16:06):
people might think and I'mchallenged by that because I'm
drawn to the desire to pleaseGod and for obedience and so
it's going to sometimes butt upagainst our culture and our
society or our religiousmisnomers.
(16:26):
Amen.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
Six days before the Passover celebration began.
You understand, this is rightbefore the Passion Week, this is
right before.
And so Jesus is fully awarethat his end is coming, that the
tide has turned against him andthat he will be killed.
And so this is six days beforehe goes back to Bethany, the
home of Lazarus, coming, thatthe tide has turned against him
and that he will be killed.
And so this is six days beforehe goes back to Bethany, the
home of Lazarus, a man he raisedfrom the dead.
(16:51):
So I remind you not to letthese words fall flat, because
this would have been a party.
I mean, we're going back to thehouse he raised him from the
dead and now he's like and thenyou know, come back right before
the Passover and we'llcelebrate this.
So I just want to tell you thiswould have been a celebration.
They would have told theirfriends oh, you know what, this
(17:12):
Lazarus that you see, that weall mourned and buried and put
away, and now is back.
Well, the man who raised himfrom the dead is coming.
And so this would have not beena discreet meal for four or
four, six.
This would have been an event.
We would have done what wecould, not only because it was
Passover it's part of theirreligious tradition, it's part
(17:32):
of the thing but the invitationwas into this joy, into this
celebration.
You have restored the family.
This was a big deal in manyways, not just in the family,
just in that unit, but the hopethat it restores to people, that
the family unit is restored,that God is coming and he's
bringing us back.
(17:52):
And so this is where we enterthe story.
A dinner was prepared in Jesus'honor.
I just want you to imagine whatthat would have looked like.
Your brother, who was dead, isnow brought back to life.
What would you have put out?
How would you have served this?
How you would have washed thelentils with so much care, how
(18:18):
you would have prepared that.
What wine you would have served.
There would have been beautyand intention in every part of
this meal that was served.
Martha served, and Lazarus wasamong those who ate with them.
This particular portion isimportant.
He was among those who ate withthem because many times in the
(18:39):
way people told stories back inthis particular time, they would
mention people that were around, but it was almost just a
memory of them.
It was considered like a ghostof them, except for when you say
a person ate with them.
Ghosts do not eat food, and soat least this is what I know and
the people that are around youthey may look like they've seen
(19:00):
a ghost, but the very fact thathe's eating is this retelling in
this story that he is a person,flesh breathing.
It's not just a memory of him,he is here with us.
In fact, a little bit later,jesus himself is raised from the
dead and the people are lookingat him like he was a ghost and
he said do you have anything toeat?
Because again he wants to showthem.
(19:22):
Because again he wants to showthem I am a real being here.
This matter matters to God, andso Martha is served, lazarus is
among those who ate with him,and Mary took a 12-ounce jar of
expensive perfume made from theessence of nard.
(19:42):
In the other verse, not intranslation, in the other gospel
, it says that it took a year'ssalary, that whatever your
salary was from the year.
This is how expensive this was,and she anointed Jesus's feet
with it, wiping his feet withher hair, and the house was
filled with the fragrance.
So I want to tell you that youalso would have experienced it.
(20:06):
I mean what the scene issetting here, and I think
sometimes the way that we readthings is a little tame.
I would like to invite you torewild the story with me.
I would like to use your holyimagination and my holy
imagination to remember whatwould have always been in our
mind was I was there when theyburied that man.
I was there when Lazarus was inthe tomb.
I was there when Mary wasweeping.
(20:29):
Now we're going to see Mary hereat many points in this
particular story because this isa memorial to her.
But she is at the feet of Jesusa lot.
She's at the feet of Jesus as astudent.
She listens and calls him herrabbi and in fact Jesus commends
her and says what she is doingwill never be taken from her.
She is to be the student.
(20:50):
Here we see Mary crying whenher brother has died and her
beloved Jesus has not come torescue her.
I mean, she is outside when shesees him on her knees weeping.
If you would have come, I justthink this would have been a
different story.
And she's there weeping andJesus bows next to her and weeps
(21:11):
with her Beloved.
We have a God who weeps with us.
We have a beautiful Savior whoreminds us that pain is a part
of living, but it does not meanthat you are alone.
It does not mean that you arealone.
It does not mean that you areabandoned.
It does not mean that therewon't be something beautiful
that comes from this story.
(21:32):
But in this house, you wouldhave not been able to look away
from the wildness that was washappening, with Mary touching
Jesus, just weeping and touching, and weeping and touching.
And maybe you went to look awaybecause you're like, oh, I
don't want to look at her.
This is embarrassing herextravagance.
(21:54):
But you would have beensmelling this nard you know, and
and it's not.
Speaker 3 (22:00):
You know, the idea of anointing is not unusual, but
but what?
is is being anointed at yourfeet, because kings who are
anointed, they're on their head.
You know and there's a kind ofa pride thing in that that you
(22:23):
don't see here that you knowthat jesus was anointed
differently, because this is adifferent kind of king, this is
not a king that lords over you,but this is a king that serves
you.
You know, and and uh, and thenkings were anointed by the high
priest or other kings, and sofor this servant, uh, to to
(22:49):
anoint, uh, was something thatsome people would want to look
away or consider a shame, but init it's for us so many lessons.
You know the lesson ofobedience, the less.
The lesson of sacrifice, ofgiving everything.
Imagine a year's salary giventowards that.
(23:09):
But where is your gratitude?
For?
You know, in that culture whowould have really been the?
You know the breadwinner in thehouse, but the brother.
You know Lazarus, and so he'sbeen returned, and so of course,
we can see the generosity, butdo we allow our hearts to be
(23:34):
open in such a way that werealize what we have been given
and what we've been set free of?
And so there is for us thisexample of how and where we
(23:59):
would bring our anointing.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
Like you, if you would like to support the
ongoing work of First LoveChurch and the continued work of
our podcast, visit us online atfirstlovechurchorg, reminding
you to like, follow andsubscribe.
Mary took the 12-ounce jar ofexpensive perfume made from the
essence of nard and she anointedJesus's feet with it, and then
(24:21):
she wiped his feet with her hair, and then she wiped his feet
with her hair.
You have to get really up closeand personal with someone to
dry their feet with the tearsthat you have already put in it.
Thank you.
I'm sure that word was used amillion times.
I'm sure there were other wordstoo.
(24:42):
She was a friend of Jesus.
She saw him as a teacher.
But thank you.
Thank you for not leaving me tocry alone when my brother dies.
Thank you for standing by thetomb and petitioning heaven.
Thank you for being angry withme that this is not right.
(25:02):
Thank you for letting me hearthe words another way, thank you
, thank you.
And with her own sorrow, shewashes the feet of the Christ
because she sees him for who heis.
I can't imagine how beautifulhe looked through that wild hair
(25:24):
that she had and through herown tears and through this
incredible oil.
But thank you, thank you forcoming.
Thank you.
This is one of my favoritestories has been since I was a
tiny little girl.
I just felt like theextravagance of the story really
drew me in.
Like if you're going to go onand say I see you, I love you,
(25:47):
thank you, I mean get on yourknees and weep this act of
devotion that calls us intosomething greater.
I have loved this story and Iwant to remind all of us when
anyone is worshiping out ofdevotion, it would behoove us
never to judge them.
You do not know the cost ofwhat happened, you do not know
(26:09):
what they are being thankful forunless they share it with you.
But people's extravagance here,and I want to show you in just a
moment, a good disciple isgoing to criticize her for her
extravagance.
He is going to start doingchurchy things and start looking
at what she's doing and going.
Oh, that's just too much.
That extravagance is too much.
(26:29):
And maybe this story seems faraway from you, but for years in
my own life my brother wastrapped in addiction and for all
purposes he was dead.
And one day Jesus met up withhim and my brother is healed and
sober, and my brother has beenbrought back.
(26:51):
So when I sing loudly here andwhen I sing loudly everywhere
else, thank you, thank you,thank you.
Thank you for not just mybrother, but for all brothers,
for every person who suffers andsomeone weeps for them.
There is a god who we areseeing, and together we offer
(27:11):
extravagant worship, hopefulworship tell the beautiful story
.
Speaker 3 (27:20):
You know, this is, this is her opportunity, and the
spirit of gratitude is what shechose.
And it's expensive.
It's expensive, it costs yousomething to find gratitude in
(27:41):
the noisy ceiling fan, but it'salways there and there's always
an opportunity to tell thebeautiful story, but we miss it
in our.
You know, sometimes it's justto have a topic.
What do you want to talk about,noisy ceiling fans?
(28:04):
Or can we stir up gratitude andfind the beauty in what we've
been given?
Because when you do that, whatdo I?
What are you thankful for?
What if we went around the room?
You'd begin oh, that was mine,it was taken, I better think of
another one.
And you'd begin to press in andstart to, and all of a sudden
(28:25):
there was things that you hadnot even thought of.
Or someone says something thatyou're like oh, I have that in
common with them and I didn'teven realize that I should be
grateful for that.
I could be grateful for that.
What if we told that story andthat became our habit as a
church, as people?
We were the kind of people thatcelebrated God like that on a
(28:49):
regular basis.
Let's don't dream about thatlike it's a fantasy, but let's
begin to implement that as areality.
Speaker 1 (28:55):
I hear in the words that Laurie Beth Jones offered
us make the beautiful the story.
There is an invitation toactually change things.
There's an invitation totransform it In fact, what Sue
read this morning in Isaiah 58,where there are hungry people,
feed them.
Now you have made that thebeautiful the story.
The hunger is no longer thestory.
You have made the beautifulwhen you are the person giving
(29:16):
out the goodness of God Judas,iscariot, the disciple who would
soon betray him.
I remind you that this text iswritten about 400 years after
the actual event, so there's alot in the story.
This is not like a first-handevent, this is not an eyewitness
, and I am distressed at how wejust remind people over and over
(29:39):
again.
This is the guy who reallymesses up.
I mean, this is the guy who,when it came down to it, is
responsible for this, and wekeep rehearsing this part of
this.
Mean.
This is the guy who, when itcame down to it, is responsible
for this, and we keep rehearsingthis part of this is judas, the
one who would soon betray him Iwould like to interject to here
, though, that we're notsuggesting that you pretend like
there was no judas in yourstory oh no, absolutely, thank
(30:00):
you it's just, you know, we'renot going to go on.
Speaker 3 (30:03):
Yeah, judas, you know that guy, he was always pulling
stuff around you.
You know we're not going to goon.
Yeah, judas, you know that guy,he was always pulling stuff
around.
You know what else he did?
Oh, yeah, and I saw him do thisand I bet he was probably doing
that.
It's like the older brother.
Last week he goes.
You know, he wasted all themoney, you know, with the
hookers.
You know the Bible never saidthat he is interjecting.
(30:25):
What he probably would have did, had the money.
It was like take care of it easy, with your heart there.
You exposed it, uh, with yourown accusations, you know.
And so better to pull back onthis kind of stuff, you know.
But but it's not to say thatthere's not a sorrow in in my
story and that we would pretendand I think that's the thing
that god's never asking us topretend like something never
happened.
But it's just, to where is yourfocus going to be?
You see, and my focus, and I'mtelling you this, is
(30:49):
transformative.
Even if you don't get yourstuff back right away, you still
get to live in joy and itdoesn't get to rob from you
further, or every time I read toyou, every time you tell a
story again and all suddenyou're retroubled, you're re
angered, and all sudden you'reyou're.
(31:09):
You know what's happening inyour body.
You're really inventing itagain.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
So this is Judas, our beloved brother.
Let's call him that becausethat is who he is, and let us
practice his innocence.
He was picked by Judas, byJesus, to follow him, and he was
a friend.
And sometimes friends treat uspoorly, but that doesn't mean
that they're not a friend.
And sometimes friends get us introuble and betray us.
But we can choose another wayand make the beautiful the story
(31:38):
.
So Mary is in her extravagance,weeping, wiping his feet with
her hair, and Judas's responseto her extravagant devotion is
that perfume was worth a year'swages.
It should have been sold andthe money given to the poor.
(31:58):
I remind you, this is part oftheir tradition.
In fact, all the way back inDeuteronomy, god said the poor
that are around you are yourresponsibility and in fact, they
will always be here unless youset up systems that will allow
them an equity.
You are responsible for the pooramong you.
(32:20):
You are responsible for theforeigner among you.
In fact, it matters how youfarm, because the edges were to
be left for someone who didn'thave the land and didn't have
the tools and didn't have thestrength that they could come in
and just take what they needed.
This was the plan from Godsince the beginning of these
(32:42):
people, and so Judas isreferencing this very ancient
rule.
He's referencing yeah, we knowthis is how God wants it and she
should have done what Godwanted her to do.
Now he's sitting there, beloved, beloved child of God, beloved
brother, and all he is doing iscriticizing how she is living
(33:07):
her life in extravagant devotion.
Speaker 3 (33:09):
It's so easy to tell someone else or to decide how
someone else should handle theirresources, and really the
responsibility is for us, withours.
And I just want you to look atthat, because what he's
referring to is the law thateverybody else understood and
knew, and so in that way she'sbreaking it by being the woman
who's ministering and all ofthese things that that culture
(33:31):
was looking at negative.
But I want to ask you aquestion have you ever heard
something and you just know,it's right, you ever.
You know what I'm talking about,that that inside, whatever you
want to call it, intuition orjust a knowing or or a sense, I
want, I want you to recall atime where, where you had that
(33:51):
happen.
And then now we've also hadother things where people give
us information and thatinformation lines up with other
information.
But that knowing, that knowing,is when my heart is in, tuned
(34:12):
with the spirit and my brainstops becoming a hard drive for
information and now becomes areceptor for the Holy Spirit.
And so I want to describe whathas happened to you many times
in your life, but you justdidn't know that all of a sudden
(34:33):
, my mind, I quit using it justto gather facts, and all of a
sudden now it becomes thisantenna and then my heart is the
radio dial and so I keep myheart connected.
And then when you get togetherwith somebody with like spirit
and they say something, likeGloria Beth Jones said there,
(34:54):
and it just rings, how do youknow that's true?
Do I have any information toback that up?
No, but I know that I know.
And so I want to challenge youthat because the know, that you
know, is the ultimate confidence.
Because imagine you were maryin the room and the guys are
speaking now and they're theones who rule the show in this
(35:16):
culture.
Huh, I can't imagine what thatwould be like.
And all of a sudden he calls herout and so everybody it's a
record scratch.
And she's in the middle ofLooks at Jesus.
What's he going to do?
You know, because there is thatplace where I've stepped out.
(35:40):
I believe in my heart this iswhat I should do.
You know, we're going to readon what Jesus says, but to see
that, imagine what it would feellike to be confirmed, to be
(36:00):
affirmed, that you stepping out,even going against the norm.
I've had situations like thathappen for me and it is so
thrilling to finally hear youknow that, son, daughter, you're
doing right, you're beingobedient.
Yeah, you might be kickingagainst the goes.
(36:23):
I was talking to my sonyesterday about how frustrating
it is at times to do what'sright and still not see that
benefit come back in.
But there's times where Godwill confirm that.
And look what happens here.
Speaker 1 (36:38):
So Judas says the perfume was worth a year's wages
.
That should have been sold andthe money given to the poor.
Not that he cared for the poor.
So the truth was, the rule wasthere, but the rule did not
transform him.
The rule did not inform eventhe way that he lived his life.
He was a thief and since he wasin charge of the disciples'
(37:01):
money, he often stole some forhimself.
We see later in the story thathe has ideas that money and
power go very much together andhe goes to power and he receives
money from that power and hebetrays Jesus.
And then it is that money thathe throws back when he realizes
that is not the way.
It is that money that causeshim to make choices for his own
(37:25):
death.
But Jesus replies to someonelooking at this extravagant life
and going no, there's a rule,we could have done it another
way.
And Jesus said leave her alone.
That's still the word of Christfor us today.
It's as relevant today as itwas 2,000 years ago.
(37:48):
Leave her alone.
She did this in preparation formy burial and that's exactly
like what Pastor Dennis remindsus of.
She doesn't know, not to anyextent, the horror that will
endure.
There's some beautiful things,that you can do your own
research on nard and what itdoes for the human body.
(38:08):
And he was going to suffer andI'm going to tell you the next
time that they're all together.
It's not going to smell likethis.
It is going to smell likerotting flesh.
It is going to smell like bloodmixed with dirt and sweat.
It is going to be terrible.
And Jesus said I needed this.
What she did, she did for me inpreparation for this incredible
(38:34):
thing that I'm going to do.
And when he said burial, hemeant in about a week, 10 days,
and they thought way far off.
He knew what was coming andJesus says leave her alone.
Speaker 3 (38:49):
I think there's something very important too,
because Jesus is always achampion of the poor, so this
isn't a situation where he'ssaying, yeah, this time, you
know, do for me instead of thoseold poor people.
The truth is, he understandsthe abundance of God.
Yes, that there isn't a choicethat has to be made between you
(39:11):
having something or poor peoplehaving something.
That's the craziest part is wehave enough to share.
All of us do Share what it isyou have.
Yes, you know, give it all awayand there's plenty for for the
things that you have need of,but it's not the things that I
have want of, because it turnsout there's never going to be
enough for the things that Ihave want of.
(39:32):
Because I mean, I rememberworking for this guy and he was
a multi-millionaire and he wouldnever even go out on the sales
floor anymore.
He would sit in his office andjust buy stuff and then all of a
sudden the trailer would comeup and there'd be a race car
like a you know sports car, andthen he'd drive that home and
something and he was buyingboats and he was just you know.
(39:53):
And then you know you think toyourself well, if you had that
kind of money, things would be alittle bit easier.
No, because your want alwaysoutdoes your bank account.
But your needs, you know thoseare handled.
And so if we could shift, if hesat in his office and thought
(40:14):
about how he could bless hissalesman, maybe I'd still be
there shift.
If he sat in his office andthought about how he could bless
his salesman, maybe I'd stillbe there.
No, I just.
But I mean, what if we didshift though?
If you know, I'm sitting aroundshopping.
I found myself for years likelike that's what I did as a
hobby.
I went on Facebook marketplaceand just looked for stuff, and
he didn't know I wanted it untilhe saw it and then all of a
(40:36):
sudden, I desired it and thenfigured out a way to get it.
I know I'm the only personthat's done that, but what if we
could then just stop that raceand focus on the things?
How can we serve?
How can we give a little more?
How can we share?
Nobody likes that preachingHeather.
What am I going?
Speaker 1 (40:54):
to do.
It's a good word they are.
It's transforming.
Jesus then says you will alwayshave the poor among you and
this is again in reference tothe verses in Deuteronomy but he
reminds them you won't alwayshave me.
This is important.
What she's doing now, thepresent moment, matters.
(41:15):
It's good that we've heard allthe way since Deuteronomy, for
thousands of years, that this isthe way God wanted things done,
but right now, in this moment,her response to the presence of
the holy is extravagant devotion.
What does it look like for us?
Because, in our imagination, Ifeel like all of us who have
experienced the love of Godwould say to each other I would
(41:41):
thank Jesus for those things andI would be moved, probably with
compassion.
But he is not present hereamong us, beloved in the
physical form.
He is here in spirit, but he ishere in each one of us, your
brothers and sisters, each humanbearing an image of the divine,
(42:01):
each person not only made fromGod but made of God, each person
with such dignity because weare made in the plan, in the
thought, in the hope that Godhas for the world.
There is an invitation for usto listen to the words of Jesus,
(42:25):
who said to us and as often asyou hear my story or this good
news that God is coming, payattention to the story of Mary,
because right here she made itbeautiful.
Right here, right before thingswill get terrible, she made it
(42:49):
beautiful.
She makes it beautiful again inquite a few places.
But Jesus says, when my story istold, her story would be told
in memory of her.
Why should we remember her?
We remember not only herdevotion in this one place, but
we look at her as a path.
What does it look like for usto live like we have?
(43:12):
Devotion to the Christ, to theconsciousness?
That reminds us there's anotherway to live, beloved, there's a
higher thought.
You are to love God, loveyourself and love your neighbor.
That love is to be the path allthe time.
It is loving, right beforeJesus goes to suffer like he did
(43:32):
to care for him.
It is loving for us to have oureyes changed.
It is loving for us to joinwith heaven.
One of the things that I did.
Speaker 3 (43:46):
You want to say something I did because you know
, you and I were talking aboutthis week, about how, a week
later, jesus says somethingsimilar when he says do this in
memory of me.
And so there's this.
You know this was done and shewill be remembered, and he's
asking us to remember.
There's an importance in ourremembering, you know, because
(44:09):
why you and I have a tendency toforget.
That is something that's verynatural for us to do.
I don't want to forget that.
That sacrifice means something.
I don't want to forget thatlaying down my life is important
, that weeping and washing hisfeet with my hair is important.
(44:29):
I don't want to forget what hehas done for us.
I don't want to forget thesacrifice that was made on
Calvary.
I don't want to forget thebroken body.
I don't want to forget thesacrifice that was made on
Calvary.
I don't want to forget thebroken body.
I don't want to forget the shedblood.
I don't want to forget thatdaily bread the thing that I
have need of that is offered tome.
But I have a tendency to forgetthat, and so I need to be
(44:51):
reminded, I need to rehearse, Ineed to share.
I tell you what.
That's a beautiful way to learn.
It's in your sharing.
Don't wait until you knoweverything to start sharing.
Share what it is that you knowand watch God just you know and
make the beautiful story.
That's what we share.
Speaker 1 (45:12):
This is our hope, beloved.
We can make this world abeautiful place, not by our own
thoughts, but our prayer thatsays may your kingdom come.
May your will be done on earthas it is in heaven.
We are invited into thisrenewal project that the Spirit
is doing.
The intention of God has alwaysbeen and is to make all things
(45:33):
new, and our participation inmaking the beautiful the story
is our participation in liningup with how God is telling this
story.
We are joining, we'reco-authoring, we're offering our
hands and our feet, but we joinwith not only the church since
the beginning, but we join withbrothers and sisters all around
(45:56):
the world as we celebrate HolyCommunion, and what we are about
to do may be the most importantthing that we've done together.
As we are here, we arecelebrating this table, this
sanctity, this holiness, thissacred meal.
Speaker 3 (46:12):
All right, I just want to piggyback on what you
said.
As we go into communion is thatyou have this opportunity to
not just tell the beautifulstory but make the beauty around
you, and I can say that withall confidence, because God has
said that he's placed his spiritwithin you as followers of
(46:34):
Christ.
Christ lives in us, and so Ithink somehow we have been duped
and we have undervalued our ownpotential, our own potential
power in our, in our lives andin this world.
You know, we think to ourselveswell, if I'm going to make a
(46:56):
difference, I'm going to have torun for some office, or I'm
going to have to get some job orget some income.
I'll tell you a quick storythat happened to Heather and I.
But all these years ago we livedin Chicago and we had a
beautiful house in the suburbsand we were two of the most
unhappy people you'd ever meet.
(47:16):
We were stirring whether weshould start the church or not,
and it was the first time everthat the lottery ever got to
$365 million.
And so I was driving down theroad and I looked at that
billboard and it said $365million.
(47:43):
And God said well, if you hadthat money, what would you do.
And I said, well, I'd leavethis house and I would just go
down to Florida and start thatchurch.
And then God said to me so ifyou had $365 million, you'd
(48:06):
start the church.
And I'm like, yeah, and at thispoint I'm getting ready to pull
over and write down the lotterynumbers because I thought I was
getting it.
And instead God said to me wellthen, money's your God and not
me.
And all of a sudden it madeperfect sense If I had $365
(48:26):
million, I'd start the church.
But I have God, and that's notenough.
I need that, and $365 million,apparently.
Or is that all I ever neededwas God?
I need that, and $365 million,apparently.
Or is that all I ever neededwas God?
And so I, like any good husband, went home and proposed the
(48:48):
question to Heather.
I said, heather, if you wonthat lottery, what would you do
with the money?
And then she pulled a Heather.
Why do you ask, what would youdo?
I said, don't tell me.
And she said, well, I'd go downto Florida and start that
church.
And I said, well then.
Speaker 1 (49:05):
He did.
Speaker 3 (49:06):
He did.
I've grown so much since then.
I said, well then, woman,money's your God, not the living
God.
I made it all religious.
And then we looked at oneanother and we said, well then,
and we put the house up for saleand probably wasn't for sale a
week and we came down here andwe got here on a thursday.
(49:27):
We started this church on asunday.
We didn't even let a week go byand even during hurricanes
we've had its service every timethe doors are open for and
we've been feeding the poor.
Speaker 1 (49:41):
And we've been preaching what we know to be the
way of Jesus.
We made some declarations thismorning in our worship.
Speaker 3 (49:44):
We're choosing the Jesus way.
But I just want to do youunderstand why I told that story
.
Because I found out in a realhard way that you can do the
hard things.
You can do the hard things.
You can do the impossiblethings if you remember what the
lottery numbers are.
Speaker 1 (50:00):
No, no, that wasn't the point of this story.
Speaker 3 (50:03):
So remember you have God and we undersell that in
ourselves and then we don't dowhat the potential is for you
and I to really live in and do.
Speaker 1 (50:19):
Let me respond and remind everyone that we did have
God, but it took something ofours.
We wanted what we had, andextra we wanted what we had.
And then for God to show upwith something else too and I
remind you of the story of theSamaritan to show up with
something else too, and I remindyou of the story of the
Samaritan, this recently we'vetalked about, where he takes
(50:40):
this beaten and battered man andhe puts him on his donkey and
he takes him to.
It will cost us something, andthis is the way of Mary.
This is the memorial that Jesusis talking about.
It will cost you something tobe a peacemaker.
It will cost you something tobe a peacemaker.
It will cost you something tothink differently than everyone
around you.
It will cost you something tosee him for who he is.
(51:04):
Mary saw Jesus.
She really saw him, and in theseeing of him she responded with
worship.
That is absolutely appropriate,although other people may not
see it.
Speaker 3 (51:21):
I love that.
The way of Mary and the way ofJudas is hey, somebody else's
money should take care of thepoor.
Well, there's more people thatare more, so think about that.
Where are we?
Are we listening to that voicethat would tell us how we can
affect the world around us?
Or are we looking at the wholething and saying, well, I can't
(51:42):
do all that, so I'm going to donothing, or I'm just going to
try to spend someone else'smoney?
Oh, you've been given whatyou've been given to share.
That's better preaching there,amen.
Speaker 1 (51:54):
I think the way of Mary is a way of seeing, and I
think what the Holy Spirit wantsto offer us is another way of
seeing.
In fact, it is part of Jesus'sministry where he healed the
eyes of people and you, belovedas I, might be blind in ways
that we do not know.
So, opening ourselves up tospirit and asking the spirit,
show me how you see this and howI can be a part.
(52:16):
Show me how you see this.
One of the things that Silasdoes and as the youngest of my
five children, I relish verymuch the fact that he is with us
, present and available, andvery often when I say something
to him, he can probably tellwith an inflection or a tone, as
you do when you're aroundsomeone for a long time, and
I'll say we need to do this, andan act of generosity that he
(52:40):
has given to me that tells methat he loves me in such
beautiful ways is he comes andhe'll stand close to me and
he'll go.
I see what you see.
Isn't that what all of us want?
Do you see what I see?
And isn't this what Mary didfor Jesus?
(53:02):
I see what you see.
There's good to be given andeven if it costs you your whole
life, it matters.
May we join this morning withspirit and offering ourselves.
Help me see what you seeregarding my neighbors,
regarding our city, regarding myspouse, regarding my family.
Speaker 3 (53:22):
Help me see what you see and help us remember it, and
I think that's what Jesus'spoint is here.
You know this is.
This will be commemorated.
We'll remember what it is why,are we reminded because?
Because it's important to seethe way Jesus is To walk the
path of Mary, not the path ofJudas.
(53:43):
We need to remember thesethings.
Speaker 1 (53:47):
Jesus said I am the way, I am the truth, I am life.
The prophet Jeremiah said thisStop where you are, stand in the
crossroads and ask for theancient paths.
Ask for the ancient ways, forin them you will find rest for
your souls.
There is for us an invitationinto the ancient paths.
(54:13):
There's a beautiful, verycurrent story called the
Mandalorian.
I don't know if you'reinterested.
I think it's a beautiful story.
You might consider it.
It's a way he's the hero andthe Mandalorian is a way that he
lives.
It's choice.
And every time he comes upagainst something that is too
(54:33):
big, too hard, will cost twomonths, he simply says it is the
way.
The way of Mary calls us intodevotion.
The way of Mary calls us intotenderness.
The way of Mary calls us intoan embodied feeling.
It's not just an esotericmoment, it is hands-on.
(54:54):
It is when you're sufferingwith someone and you show up at
their house to suffer with themevery day.
It is taking food to the poor.
It is bringing help to the sick.
It is being attention to ourneighbors.
It is living another way.
And this morning, the way ofMary also joins us in the way of
Jesus, who is telling us thisis how you embody the way of
(55:17):
Jesus.
Mary is not another way.
She is the same way and she isan exemplary, a witness to us of
this is what it looks like tofollow Devotion, humility.
Giving the cost up there is forus a plan into really giving
(55:38):
ourselves to the way of Jesus.
We hope you've enjoyed thisweek's sermon.
If you would like moreinformation about us, visit us
online at firstlovechurchorg.
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