Holy Wednesday Home Worship 2020

Holy Wednesday Worship

 2020

Introduction

For our Holy Wednesday worship we look at the anointing of Jesus with expensive perfume.

Prayer

Holy God,
to you alone belong glory, honour and praise.
We join with the hosts of heaven as we worship.
To you, loving God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
be all glory, honour and praise,
now and forever.
Amen.

  

ScriptureJohn 12: 1-8

Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.  Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honour. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about half a litre of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected,  ‘Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.’  He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

‘Leave her alone,’ Jesus replied. ‘It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. ⁸ You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.’

Reflection

Our Scripture for today begins with a meal.  Social occasions were always an important part of Jesus’ ministry.  His first miracle was the turning of water into wine at a wedding in Cana and several times in the gospels we read of Jesus sharing a meal with others.  There is something very special about sitting down to enjoy a meal with friends.

During the meal a very startling thing happens.  Mary takes a jar of wildly expensive perfume and pours it all over Jesus’ feet.  Then she wipes his feet with her hair!  This does not seem startling to us, but it really was.  In first century Judea women did not let down their hair in public!  Only their husbands were allowed to see their hair loose.  In first century Judea women did not touch men they were not married to; yet Mary wiped Jesus feet with her hair.

This was literally scandalous behaviour, and yet Mary is praised by Jesus for doing it.  When Judas criticised Mary for her actions, Jesus said, “Leave her alone!  Let her keep what she has done for the day of my burial.”

This was an act of pure love and devotion by Mary; and in it we see what our love and devotion to Jesus should be like.

First of all, our love for Jesus should be an extravagant love.  Mary took what was probably one of the most valuable things she owned, the jar of perfume, and poured it on Jesus’ feet.  She didn’t just pour a dribble either, she gave Jesus the lot with even thinking about it.  True love doesn’t worry about the cost of something but gives freely and wholeheartedly.

The jar of perfume was very expensive, but to Mary it was worthless in comparison to her love for Jesus and so she fely gave him the lot.  Real love cannot think of any other way to give but to do so extravagantly.

As well as love’s extravagance we also see in Mary love’s humility.  To anoint a person’s head was a great honour in the first century, but Mary didn’t anoint Jesus’ head, she anointed his feet! 

Mary loved Jesus, she was devoted to Jesus and yet that love was a humble love that put things in their proper perspective; she knew Jesus was her Lord and that her proper place was at his feet.

One thing that I think we twenty first century Christians need is a good dollop of humility in our relationship with Jesus.  Yes, Jesus is our friend, yes we are adopted daughters and sons of God, co-heirs with Christ:  but Jesus is also our Lord; one of the three persons of the Godhead and we must, in all humility, show him the proper respect and reverence that he deserves and that is his right!

Love is extravagant, love is humble and love is unselfconscious.

To us reserved British people, who like to keep our emotions private and keep a stiff upper lip, this is also shocking behaviour.  Culturally we British don’t like public displays of emotion and devotion: everything in moderation could almost be a British mission statement.

As Christian people we need to overcome our British reserve and become unselfconscious in our love for Jesus.  When we are worshipping in church we need to be able to let go of our formal stiffness, to clap along to worship songs if we want to, to raise our hands in praise of God, even to dance in the aisles if we feel so moved by the Holy Spirit as we worship: and we should be able to do all this without anybody else giving us a filthy look or telling us “that’s not what we do in this church.”

People who worship in this unselfconscious way:

·      Attend worship frequently and consistently.

·      Honour God by regularly receiving Holy Communion.

·      Enter worship with hearts and minds prepared.

·      Let the music into their souls.

·      Offer their gifts to enhance the worship experience for themselves and others.

·      Carry their daily lives with them into prayer and worship and carry prayer and worship with them into their daily lives.

     This is passionate worship, this is unselfconscious love that put Jesus first and honours him without thought or concern about what others may think.  It is the worship that every Christian should offer.

    

      Do we, like Mary, love Jesus extravagantly, humbly and unselfconsciously? 

G.   God created us with free will.  It is up to us to make the choice to serve him and to love him extravagantly, humbly and unselfconsciously.  What will be your choice here, today, right now?

Blessing

The love of the Father enfold us,

the wisdom of the Son enlighten us,

the fire of the Spirit enflame us:

And the blessing of God, the Three in One,

be upon us and remain with us forever more.

Amen.