Well, good evening.
Tonight we're looking at the Gospel of Mark, chapter 14, verses 1 through 31.
I'll read it in just a minute, but as you're turning there, let me give a little brief introduction.
So in 1997, MasterCard began a memorable series of advertisements entitled Priceless.
The ad campaign is run in 98 countries and 46 languages over the past 17 years with many variations on the same theme.
Maybe you recognize it already, but here's one.
There's a picture of a one-year-old playing with a cardboard box.
And it says this, most popular toy for toddler, $500.
Goodness, did you realize that?
Most popular toy for toddler, cost $500.
Most popular stuffed animal for a toddler, $350.
Most popular picture book for a toddler, $60.
Watching her play with a cardboard box instead, priceless.
Then there's one with a dad bringing his son to a baseball game.
Two tickets, $28.
Hot dog, soda, and popcorn, $18.
An autographed baseball, $45.
Having a real conversation with an 11-year-old son, priceless.
Now, all these ads end in the same way, right?
There are some things money can't buy.
For everything else, there's MasterCard.
Now, all joking aside, what is priceless to you?
What's something that you would never trade, never sell, and never give away just to a random person?
Or even to a close friend?
What's something that you hope to keep with you for the rest of your life?
Now, maybe it's a physical thing.
Maybe it's a book of photos or memories.
Maybe it's a handwritten note or series of notes from someone significant in your life.
Maybe it's a painting or an antique or a family heirloom passed down from one generation to another.
Maybe it's an experience or a memory that you would only share with someone that you deeply trust and respect.
Maybe you've received such a precious, priceless gift.
Maybe someone else has shared something with you or given something to you that's truly priceless.
In tonight's passage, we see two people who do something totally unexpected.
They give a priceless gift to someone else.
So let me read Mark 14.
It's a bit of a long passage, but we're reading verse 1 through 31.
We're going to focus in on two parts of it.
So Mark 14, beginning at verse 1.
It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him, Jesus, how to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him.
For they said, not during the feast, but lest there be an uproar from the people.
And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper,
as he was reclining at the table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly.
And she broke the flask and poured it over his head.
There were some who said to themselves indignantly,
why was the ointment wasted like that?
For this ointment could have been sold for more than 300 denarii, a year's wages, and given to the poor.
And they scolded her.
But Jesus said, leave her alone.
Why do you trouble her?
She has done a beautiful thing to me.
For you always have the poor with you.
And whenever you want, you can do good for them.
But you will not always have me.
She has done what she could.
She has anointed my body beforehand for burial.
And truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world,
what she has done will be told in memory of her.
Then Judas Iscariot, who is one of the twelve,
went to the chief priests in order to betray him,
in order to betray Jesus to them.
And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money.
And he sought an opportunity to betray him.
And on the first day of unleavened bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb,
his disciples said to him,
Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?
And he sent two of his disciples and said to them,
Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you.
Follow him.
And wherever he enters, say to the master of the house,
The teacher says, Where is my guest room,
where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?
And he will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready.
There, prepare for us.
And the disciples set out and went to the city,
and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.
And when it was evening, he came with the twelve.
And as they were reclining a table and eating,
Jesus said, Truly I say to you,
one of you will betray me,
one who is eating with me.
They began to be sorrowful,
and to say to him one after another,
Is it I?
He said to them,
It is one of the twelve,
one who is dipping bread into the dish with me.
For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him.
But woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed.
It would have been better for that man if he had never been born.
And as they were eating,
he took bread.
And after blessing it, he broke it and gave it to them and said,
Take.
This is my body.
And he took a cup,
and when he had given thanks,
he gave it to them,
and they all drank of it.
And he said to them,
This is my blood of the covenant,
which is poured out for many.
Truly I say to you,
I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine
until that day when I drink it new
in the kingdom of God.
And when they had sung a hymn,
they went out to the Mount of Olives.
And Jesus said to them,
You will all fall away.
For it is written,
I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep will be scattered.
But after I am raised up,
I will go before you to Galilee.
Peter said to him,
Even though they all fall away,
I will not.
And Jesus said to him,
Truly I tell you,
this very night,
before the rooster crows twice,
you will deny me three times.
But he said emphatically,
If I must die with you,
I will not deny you.
And they all said the same.
This passage is actually a pretty dark passage.
It begins with people plotting
to kill Jesus.
And then talks about
one of his disciples
who makes an agreement
to hand him over
for some money.
And then Jesus is telling
his disciples
that one of them,
one of the twelve,
those who had been closest to him
for his earthly ministry,
one of them
would betray him.
And in the end,
he says,
You're all going to
leave me alone.
You're all going to fall away.
But in the midst of this passage,
in the midst of a pretty dark passage,
there's two
points of light
that we might say.
We see two people
who do something
totally unexpected.
They give a priceless gift.
They pour out
their most precious possession
in an act of lavish generosity.
So first we see a woman
who pours out
an alabaster jar
of costly ointment,
perfume,
on Jesus.
And then we see Jesus
symbolically preparing
to pour out
his body
and his blood,
his very life
for his disciples.
Now in the structure
of the passage,
both of these acts
of lavish generosity
are surrounded
on both sides
by acts
that are self-serving
and self-seeking.
So verse 1 and 2
describes the plot
to kill Jesus.
Verse 3 through 9
describes the woman
pouring out
her treasure on Jesus.
And then verses 10 and 11
describe Judas
who agrees to betray Jesus
for some money.
And then verse 17 through 21,
Jesus says one of his disciples
will betray him.
And then Jesus
symbolically
gives his disciples
his body and his blood
demonstrating what he's going
to do for them.
And then right afterwards
he says,
you're all going to fall away.
So in the midst of this,
of these dark moments
of failure,
of human failure,
I want to focus in
on these two unexpected acts
of generosity
and then ask what we can learn
from each of them.
So first,
let's look at the woman.
In verses 3 through 9,
she pours out
her most precious
possession
on Jesus.
Now,
what she does here
is totally unexpected.
Jesus is
at somebody's house
reclining at the table
probably after a meal
with his disciples
and a woman enters.
Now,
in John chapter 12,
we learn that this woman
is Mary.
But here in Mark,
she's left unnamed.
There's also a similar story
in Luke chapter 7,
but several of the details
in that story
are different.
So,
there's probably
two different occasions
going on.
So,
we're just going to focus
on this story
right now.
But if you want,
you can compare it
with the one in Matthew
and in John
because this story
appears in both Matthew
and John.
Now,
in that culture,
women were not supposed
to interrupt
a group of men
who were talking
unless they were coming
in to serve food.
That was the cultural
expectation.
But this woman
doesn't follow
the cultural expectation.
She comes in
and she comes
right to Jesus
and she breaks
open this jar
and pours it out
on his head
and all over.
It's just,
it's just,
Mark describes it
as an alabaster flask
of ointment
of pure nard
very costly
worth 300 denarii.
That's a year's wages.
One denarii
was a day's wages.
So,
300,
that's about a year.
So,
I don't know
what you think
a year's wages is.
Say,
40,000 bucks,
50,000 bucks,
whatever you want
to call the median wage.
Probably,
this would have been
a family heirloom
passed down
from one generation
to another.
The most valuable thing
that this woman owned.
If she was a widow,
it would have been
her savings account
and her insurance policy
all rolled into one.
The thing that,
if everything
goes downhill,
you can sell this
and you'll survive.
And she breaks the jar
and she pours it out
all over Jesus' body.
Which meant
she didn't just
pour out a couple drops
and then close the lid.
She broke it,
which meant
you couldn't
close it ever again.
It was
broken
and poured out
and gone.
It's an act of
total,
irreversible,
lavish generosity
and devotion
toward Jesus.
Now,
the disciples
are a little weirded out.
And probably
you would be too
if this happened to you.
You know,
imagine if after church
some of us decide
to go out for pizza.
Sometimes we do that.
Occasionally.
Right?
And while we're sitting
in the booth
waiting for our pizza
to come,
somebody comes in
and gives you
a $50,000 check.
And everybody else
sees exactly
what it says
on the check.
Or,
they pour out
this bottle
of perfume
worth $50,000.
And,
you all know
what it is.
I mean,
I'd be sort of embarrassed.
I wouldn't know
what to do.
I mean,
I might be thinking
what the disciples
are thinking.
You know,
wouldn't it be
more responsible
to give that money
to the poor?
I mean,
really?
Especially to
just pour it out
and waste it.
I mean,
do I really deserve
that?
Do I really deserve
$50,000
more than everybody else
who's sitting next to me
at the table?
Isn't this
sort of awkward?
Now,
there's some truth
to what they're saying.
Jesus acknowledged it
in verse 7.
He says,
you will always
have the poor
with you.
Whenever you want,
you can do good
for them.
And that's not
a dismissive remark.
He's actually
quoting from
Deuteronomy 15,
which says,
where God said
to the Israelites,
the poor you will
always have among you.
Therefore,
I command you,
open wide your hand
to your brother,
to the needy
and the poor
in your land.
So Jesus says here
and in many other places,
not only can we
help the poor,
we should love
people around us
who are poor.
We should love
our neighbors
as ourselves,
which means we should
be as easy
to meet
our neighbors'
needs
as we are
to meet
our own.
So that's the truth
in their objection.
But there are two
problems with their
objection.
Now the first
is their attitude.
They're not only
puzzled by something
that they don't
fully understand,
they are angry
and judgmental.
They scold her,
sort of like
a naughty child.
And if you
carry this argument
to its logical
extreme,
you could use it
as an objection
to any gift
to anyone
beyond bare
necessities.
How can you
give anyone
a gift that you
don't really need
when some people
in the world
are starving?
How can you
eat pizza
when you could
eat plain rice
every day
and you would
still survive?
survive?
Maybe you'd
lose a year
or two
off your life
because of
iron deficiency
or something.
Right?
But depending
on how far
you go
with that
statement,
it can be
used in a
way that's
incredibly
guilt-inducing
and crippling.
And that is
not God's
intention.
God's intention
is for people
to share
in the joy
that he takes
in showing
mercy
and generosity.
When God
made the world,
he didn't only
make it useful
and functional,
he also
made it
beautiful.
And he
made us
so that
in enjoying
his beauty
that we
might be
motivated
to extend
it,
even
sacrificially,
to others.
So that's
the first
problem.
But the
second problem
is that they
fail to
perceive
the unsurpassed
beauty of
Jesus.
Jesus says
she's done
a beautiful
thing.
He doesn't
just say
be nice to
her,
be polite
to her,
don't be rude
to her.
She was
trying to
do her
best.
She was
trying to
make a
nice gesture.
Maybe she
didn't really
think it
through.
Maybe she
was just
being emotional,
you know,
but you
should be
kind to
her.
No!
He says
she understands
something that
you don't.
What she
did was
absolutely
appropriate.
She anointed
me because
she realized
that I'm
the Messiah,
the King
of Israel,
and the
Son of
God.
she poured
out her
most precious
treasure on
me because
there's no
one else in
the world
more worthy
of such a
gift.
You see,
if somebody
came up to
you and gave
you that
$50,000
check,
and other
people made
some objections,
and you said,
well, hey,
you'll always have
poor people to
give it to,
but you won't
always have
me,
that would
be very
arrogant.
Right?
I mean,
if you've got
that amount
of money,
there's at least
an obligation
to give some
of it away
to help
other people
and not use
it all on
yourself.
But Jesus
is saying,
I'm not
just an
ordinary human
being.
I'm the one
who is,
I'm the king.
I'm the one
who is more
worthy of
your devotion
and of
everything in
the world.
I'm the one
who's made
everything in
the world.
And the
woman saw
that.
She saw
that there
was something
about Jesus
that attracted
her and
that motivated
her to
pour out
her most
precious
treasure on
him.
Because you
see,
what the
woman does
with her
costly
ointment
is a
picture of
what Jesus
is preparing
to do
with his
very own
body
and blood,
his life.
She breaks
it and
pours it
out.
And the
same
words,
the same
concepts
are used
later in
this passage
in the
second example
of a
lavish
gift.
Verses
23-25,
says,
as they
were eating,
Jesus took
bread and
after blessing
it,
he broke
it and
gave it
to them
and said,
take this
is my
body.
And he
took a
cup and
when he
had given
thanks,
he gave
it to
them and
they all
drank of
it and
he said
to them,
this is
my
blood
of the
covenant
which is
poured
out
for many.
people
said,
now the
context
in which
Jesus said
these
words was
a Passover
meal.
I don't
know if
you've
ever had
the
opportunity
to
visit
a
Passover
meal
or
experience
a
Passover
meal.
Passover
happens once
a year
in the
spring.
And according
to the
Old Testament,
every head
of household
was required
to travel
to Jerusalem
to celebrate
Passover.
Many times
the whole
family would
go as
well.
People would
gather
together,
they'd eat
a meal
together as
sort of a
big extended
family in
somebody's
house,
remembering
how God
had delivered
them from
slavery in
Egypt and
looking forward
to the day
when the
Messiah would
come and
establish God's
kingdom on
earth in its
fullness.
And there
was an
established
routine to
the meal.
And if
you visit
a Jewish
Passover
meal,
many of
these things,
you will
still experience
them.
If you
have the
opportunity
to visit
one.
So the
host of
the meal
would break
bread,
unleavened
bread,
to remember
that when
they were
leaving Egypt
they were
in a hurry.
They didn't
have time
to wait
for the
yeast to
make the
bread rise,
so they
ate
unleavened
bread.
So that's
why they
would always
eat unleavened
bread
throughout
Passover.
The host
of the meal
would break
the bread,
pronounce a
blessing over
it,
and share
with everyone
at the
table,
remembering
God's
provision for
his people.
when they
left Egypt
and through
the wilderness.
And then
during the
meal they
would share
four cups
of wine
or grape
juice,
thanking God
for bringing
them into
the promised
land where
they could
enjoy,
where they
could have
freedom and
joy,
and looking
forward to the
day when the
Messiah would
return.
bread.
They would
eat unleavened
bread,
they'd eat
bitter herbs,
remembering the
bitterness of
their slavery,
and they'd
eat a
roast lamb,
remembering the
night when God
had told the
Israelites to
kill a lamb
for each
family and to
put the blood
on their
doorposts.
And he
said,
when I see
the blood,
I will pass
over you.
When the
destroying
angel comes,
he will see
the blood and
pass over you,
and you
will be
safe.
So the
whole routine
of the meal
emphasized
remembrance of
what God
had done in
the past in
the Exodus,
and also
anticipation of
what God
would do in
the future,
when he
would come
again and
lead them to
this ultimate
freedom.
Now in the
middle of this
meal,
with a very
established routine
that was followed
pretty much the
same way each
year,
Jesus does
something completely
off the
script,
completely
unexpected.
He takes
the bread,
he blesses
it,
thanks God
for it,
he breaks
it,
and gave
it.
All that's
normal.
And then
he says,
take,
this is my
body.
And then
he takes
the cup of
wine,
and gives
thanks,
and gave
it to
them,
and he
says,
this is my
blood.
Do you
realize how
shocking those
words would
be in the
context of a
Jewish Passover
meal?
Maybe you've
gotten used to
hearing them at
communion services,
so they feel
like some of
the verses in
the Bible that
are most familiar
to you,
but do you
realize how
shocking that
would be for
Jesus to say,
this Passover
meal is about
me?
What he was
saying,
symbolically,
was,
I am the
true Passover
lamb,
whose body
will be broken,
and blood
will be poured
out,
to save you
from God's
judgment.
He's saying,
I'm the
redeemer,
I've come to
pay the price
to buy you
out of
slavery,
by giving
my very own
life in your
place.
He's saying,
my blood is
the sign and
the seal of
a new
covenant,
a new
relationship,
a new
arrangement
between God
and his
people.
When Moses
instituted the
covenant at
Mount Sinai,
he sprinkled
blood on the
people.
It was a
sign that the
covenant was
signed and
sealed.
Jesus said,
I'm here to
set up a new
covenant, a
new basis
on which people
can relate to
God,
through the
sacrifice that
I am about
to make.
I'm here to
fulfill what
the Passover
was always
pointing forward
to, the
day of the
Messiah.
Now, Jesus'
actions were
symbolic.
He was
pointing forward
to what he
would do on
the cross,
when his body
would be broken
and his blood
would be
poured out.
So, Jesus
pours out his
life for his
disciples in
this act.
Now, the
woman poured
out her most
precious treasure
on Jesus because
she saw that
Jesus was
surpassingly
worthy.
But Jesus,
when Jesus
poured out his
blood for the
disciples,
he poured out
his blood
not because
he saw that
we were
worthy.
Right?
That's why
right before
and right after
he does this,
he says,
one of you is
going to betray
me and you're
all going to
abandon me.
And they
say, oh,
no, no, no,
I certainly
wouldn't.
And Jesus
says, oh,
yes, you
will, even
before the
night's out.
You're going
to fail.
But he
says, but I'm
not going
to the cross.
I'm not
giving my
life for you
because you're
worthy.
I'm giving
my life
because I
love you.
Because I've
called you to
belong to me.
Jesus poured
out his most
precious treasure
on people who
would betray
him, deny
him, abandon
him, crucify
him.
He knew it
very well.
You see, in
his great love,
this is the
heart of this
passage, in
his great love,
Jesus lavished
his most
precious treasure,
his very own
self, his body
and his blood
on us.
Romans 5, 8
says, God
demonstrates his
love for us
in this.
While we were
still sinners,
Christ died
for us.
1 Timothy
chapter 1
says, Christ
Jesus came
into the
world to
save sinners.
Jesus poured
out everything
for us
so that we
could become
his priceless
treasure.
A possession
that he will
never sell
or trade
or lose
because he's
paid for us
such a great
price.
Ephesians 1
says, in
Jesus Christ,
we have
redemption.
That means
we have
freedom from
bondage
through his
blood.
The forgiveness
of our
trespasses
according to
the riches
of his
grace which
he lavished
upon us.
1 Peter 1
says, you
were ransomed
not with
perishable
things such
as silver
or gold,
but with
the precious
blood of
Jesus Christ.
Do you
ever wonder,
does God
really love
me?
How could
he love
me?
Someone so
small and
insignificant,
someone guilty
of sin and
full of shame.
Remember
this, Jesus
Christ, the
Son of God,
loved you
and gave
himself for
you.
every time
that you
take communion,
remember
that.
Jesus gave
his life
for you.
He says,
this is my
body,
broken
for you.
This is my
blood of
the new
covenant,
poured out
for many,
for everyone
who would
believe
and put
their trust
in him.
you see,
Jesus poured
out his
life for
us so
that we
might
become
his
treasure.
And so
that he
might become
our
greatest
treasure.
What's
your most
priceless
possession?
What are
the things
that you
would never
want to
lose,
would never
want to
sell,
would never
want to
trade?
may it
be Jesus
because he
gave his
life for
us.
Let's
pray.
Lord Jesus,
we see in
the act of
this woman
a picture
of what
our devotion
to you
ought to
look like
because you
are the
worthy
lamb of
God,
the king
of all
kings,
and the
lord of
all lords,
the son
of God,
the one
and only.
And yet,
Lord,
so often
we treasure
so many
other things.
we thank
you that
you were
devoted to
us,
that you
came and
poured out
your life
even unto
death.
While we
were still
sinners,
you died
for us.
Lord,
would you
impress upon
our hearts
the depth
of your
love for
us?
Lord,
would you
speak to
us tonight
as we
prepare to
receive the
lord's
supper
together,
that you
gave your
body and
your blood
that we
might become
your
treasure,
and that
you might
become our
greatest
treasure,
for you
are worthy.
We pray
this in
your name.
Amen.