On Line Bible Study - For the Week July 30 - August 5, 2012

Lesson 547
John 12:  Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. ² Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. ³ Then Mary took about a pint 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.
⁴ But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, ⁵ “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.”  ⁶ 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.
⁷ “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.”

We are heading into some of the most complex and important material in the Christian Testament.  The story above is contained in some form in each of the four gospels.  There is some debate as to whether there was one or two anointings of Jesus.

In the story as told in Luke's Gospel, the anointing leads to a lesson with regard to forgiveness.  In Mark, Matthew and John, the point is preparation for Jesus' burial.

In each of the tellings - and I believe we mentioned this when looking at this story in the Synoptics (Mark, Matthew and Luke) - with regard to people being upset over the waste of expensive ointment, we read the following:

1. Mark tells us "some were indignant".
2. Matthew tells us "the disciples were indignant".
3. Luke tells us the Pharisee who was hosting the meal questioned Jesus' integrity.
4. John tells us it was Judas who questioned the waste - and we are told Judas had no particular compassion for the poor.  In actuality he was a thief.

This is one way of explaining the mystery of how it could be that one of Jesus' own disciples would betray him.  The sense here is that Judas was morally corrupt from the beginning.
In John, Jesus presents the same rationale we find in Mark and Matthew - that the poor will always be present.  Not so Christ.  The day would come when it was no longer possible to provide him with physical comfort.

Mark and Matthew tell us Jesus was anointed after he had entered Jerusalem.  Luke and John tell us the anointing took place prior to Jesus' entrance - Luke places the story well in advance of Jesus entering Jerusalem.  In John's Gospel, Jesus enters Jerusalem on the day following this anointing.

The difference in details from one gospel to the next is not insignificant, and we assume each evangelist had reasons for telling the story as they did.  The anointing of Jesus 'for his burial' is prophetic, says Raymond Brown.  As relevant as the teachings of Jesus are, his most important work was yet to be done.

On Line Bible Study - For the Week July 23 - 29, 2012

Lesson 546

Killing Jesus at our Meetings ...

John 11:    ⁴⁵ Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him. ⁴⁶ But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. ⁴⁷ Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin.
“What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. ⁴⁸ If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.”
⁴⁹ Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! ⁵⁰ You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”
⁵¹ He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, ⁵² and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. ⁵³ So from that day on they plotted to take his life.
⁵⁴ Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the Jews. Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.

I am going to step away from any attempt at 'exegesis' here and offer a thought on two of the lines from the above text.

First, the line: Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin.  (Verse 47.)

I can't help but wonder about all the meetings church folks have - for finances, buildings, missions, worship, youth, education, to establish policies and review procedures.  We have meetings of sub-committees who then report to committees which then report to church or parish councils.  

The "Sanhedrin" was the Jewish court system, with each town having one.  The "Great Sanhedrin" was equivalent to what we would call the 'Supreme Court'.  It was comprised of 71 'judges', and met daily except on the Sabbath and festivals.

The word literally means 'sitting together'.  It's important to discuss, communicate - to meet together.  But I fear we inadvertently do at many of our church meetings what the Sanhedrin set out to do intentionally - muffle the voice of the Messiah to the point of extinguishing it entirely.

They plotted to take his life ...

I think I have mentioned the irreverent TV show "South Park" in a previous post.  The character Kenny on that show dies in many episodes.  "Oh no!" someone will shout, "they killed Kenny!"

I don't believe Jesus can physically die any more than once; I do believe his word, his teaching, his truth, grace, and message can be stifled and snuffed out over and over again.  With no disrespect intended toward those of us (myself included) who call for one church meeting after another, I do fear at times our meetings both enable us and cause us to totally miss the point of Christ's message.

Is it another meeting we need, or more honest soul-searching?

As I write these words another shooting has occurred in the United States - this time at a Sikh Temple in Wisconsin.  Once again people lie bleeding and dying.  It's happening in our malls, our schools, and our places of worship.  Is there any meeting agenda that can put an end to violence and hatred?  Is there any 'sitting' of human beings that can guarantee such a thing will never happen again?

The prophets (Amos and Hosea) speak of a "divine weariness" with regard to Israel's festivals and offerings.  God sees endless worship and sacrifices, but no change in human behavior, and it's exhausting.

If our meetings for worship tire out the Almighty, I wonder what effect all our meetings for other reasons might have.

The plot is in play.  John's gospel is about to go into a protracted and lengthy section leading up to what this 'meeting' was all about.

While we can't physically kill Jesus again, let's not kill the Christ-Spirit that dwells among us and within us!