Philippians 3:4b-14
John 12:1-8
“Tender Care”
In addition to the lovely story about Mary of Bethany anointing Jesus before his death, the lectionary suggests for today a reading from the third chapter of Paul’s letter to the Church at Philippi. Earlier this week, I read the passage from Philippians over several times and asked myself, “How does this reading relate to the one from John’s Gospel? Why has the lectionary put them together for this day?”
The Apostle Paul begins by writing about his credentials and status as a law-abiding Pharisee who used to do very well at living according to God’s laws and teaching others to do the same. But he’s writing the letter from prison, where he has been locked up because of his preaching about Jesus. The status and respect that he used to enjoy, and the confidence he had that he was a good religious person who would please God with his piety and obedience, are gone.
After his conversion to the Way of Jesus on the Road to Damascus, Paul gives up so much. He gives up his power and influence, as a Pharisee who had persecuted Christians. He gives up his self-reliance when he realizes that even he cannot do enough good things to earn God’s favour. And he gives up his safety and security when he joins in a movement that is not approved by the powers-that-be. That’s how he ends up in prison – writing letters back and forth with some of the Christian communities that he established, like the Church at Philippi.
I can only imagine how worried Paul’s friends in Philippi must be. Their teacher and leader is locked up in jail because of his profession of faith, and they could end up in a similar situation if they keep up their ministry and don’t hide away from the authorities.
But Paul writes to them to say that he’s okay. I mean, he’s probably not really okay physically, but he strongly believes that the struggles and suffering he is experiencing is a kind of joining with the suffering of Jesus. Even if Paul’s imprisonment leads to his death, he has the sense that there will be purpose in that. And by faith, he is convinced that as he shares in Jesus’ suffering and death, he will also share in Jesus’ resurrection.
As difficult as his situation may be, Paul tells his friends that he is not giving up. He writes, “But this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on towards the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Meanwhile, the Philippian Christians are praying for Paul. If you read through the other chapters of the letter (it’s only 4 chapters long) you’ll get the sense that they are doing everything they can to comfort and care for Paul while he is going through this ordeal.
Yes, they’re praying, and they’re sending food and supplies when they’re able, and they’re sending messages, and updates about their ministry, and encouragement through Paul’s helper Timothy, and someone called Epaphroditus.
I can imagine that the Philippians must have been wishing that they could do more for Paul. Perhaps some of the women wished that they could do something like what Mary of Bethany did for Jesus. Could they sneak into the prison to offer comfort to Paul by bringing him water and food, bathing his tired body, or even anointing him with perfume? If he was actually going to succumb to death in the prison, would the authorities allow them to offer him comfort at the end of his life or care for his body with dignity after his death?
Of course, that’s what Mary was doing for Jesus in our Gospel story. She was pouring out love and tender care for her friend in a time of sadness, worry, and anticipation of the pain and suffering that were going to come.
The expensive perfume that she used, made of pure nard, would have been the same kind of anointment that would be used to prepare a dead body for burial. We might think of Mary and Martha using the same perfume to anoint the body of their brother Lazarus after he died.
And now, as she sees the death of Jesus coming too, she wants to care for him also with dignity. Perhaps she won’t have the opportunity to do that if Jesus is arrested and executed by the authorities and she never sees him again. This might be her only chance to care for him in this way.
In our Lent Devotional group earlier this week, we shared about how we would want our bodies to be cared for after death, and we thought about the ways that some of us have been involved in such care for our loved ones as well. These are important conversations for us to have, especially with our families and with those who will be left when we die.
But like Mary chose to pour out her love and comfort for Jesus while he was still living, and like Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and asked them to do the same for one another, we are invited to consider the comfort and care we can offer to one another today.
That might begin with acts of tenderness and care for our closest family members when they are sad or worried. It could include daily caregiving for a loved one who is sick or becoming infirm. Perhaps it should extend to friends, neighbours, and fellow members of the Christian community who may be struggling with hardships, stresses, and strains in their daily lives.
As the Philippians did, we can care for one another with our prayers, with practical help, and with words of encouragement. As Mary did, we can care for one another with acts of tenderness and generosity.
And in these days of chaos, confusion, and fear in our world, we must prepare ourselves to offer tender care for those who are suffering from persecution and injustice, for those who are losing jobs and livelihoods, for those whose lives are threatened because of their identity or background, and for those who like Jesus and Paul are standing up and speaking out for goodness and righteousness and truth and who are putting themselves at risk.
In the weeks ahead in our worship, we will enter into the story of Jesus’ passion and death, the difficult part of the journey that Mary was anticipating with her tender care. As we tell the story and remember his suffering, we will not only be mourning his death and lamenting the way that humanity rejected and killed God’s beloved Son. But we will also be invited to look through Jesus’ suffering and death as lenses for more clearly seeing the suffering and death in the world. As Mary offered tender care to Jesus, we are invited to offer tender care to one another and to all God’s beloved children.