“What She Has Done Will Be Remembered”

March 24, 2024
St. Andrew Church
Rev. Anne McAnelly
Palm Sunday

First Lesson:                                                  Mark 14:1-9

It was two days before the Passover and the festival of Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him; ² for they said, “Not during the festival, or there may be a riot among the people.”

³ While he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment of nard, and she broke open the jar and poured the ointment on his head. ⁴ But some were there who said to one another in anger, “Why was the ointment wasted in this way? ⁵ For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor.” And they scolded her. ⁶ But Jesus said, “Let her alone; why do you trouble her? She has performed a good service for me. ⁷ For you always have the poor with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish; but you will not always have me. ⁸ She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for its burial. ⁹ Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.”

Second Lesson:                                          John 12:1-17

Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. ² There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. ³ Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. ⁴ But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, ⁵ “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” ⁶ (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) ⁷ Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. ⁸ You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”

⁹ When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. ¹⁰ So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, ¹¹ since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus.

¹² The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. ¹³ So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord—the King of Israel!” ¹⁴ Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it; as it is written: ¹⁵ “Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion. Look, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!”

¹⁶ His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written of him and had been done to him. ¹⁷ So the crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to testify.

This week I had the honor of visiting a person in hospice.  I met both sons, his sister and was warmly greeted by his wife.  My presence invited the sharing of several of his life stories.  He seemed to have a burst of energy, while reliving them. Amazingly, one son had the presence of mind to record him as he was speaking to me.  This meant that this part of his story, his life, would be documented, remembered.  

How does your experience of this story change when I name the person?

This week I had the honor of visiting John Friel, whom we have prayed for many times. He was a friend of the Burketts and Allshouses. I met both of John’s sons, Jonathan and Brian, his sister and was warmly greeted by Connie his wife.  My presence invited the sharing of several of his life stories.  One son had the presence of mind to record him.  This meant that this moment in John’s life, would be remembered.   

Did you feel the power of naming, connecting, personalizing a story?

We just heard the anointing of Jesus’ head with costly oil, an act of service that will be remembered, wherever the good news is proclaimed.  Yet the woman who does this task remains unnamed.  Unnamed in both Mark and Matthew’s gospels.  Why would Jesus proclaim her service and that it should be remembered, while her name is not remembered?   Now we are going to hear John’s version of Jesus’ anointing, which includes a name.  The name, Mary.  John was written last and has the ability to clarify a story.  READ John 12:1-17

Who knew that Palm Sunday was part of the Lazarus story?  I was surprised to read that.  I think it is because we don’t usually read John on Palm Sunday favoring the other gospels (Mt. 21:1-11, Mk. 11:1-11, Lk. 19:28-40) with a greater focus on the Triumphal Entry of Jesus.  But here we see the raising of Lazarus, the anointing of Jesus’ feet by Mary, and Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem all woven together.  The crowd waving branches had gathered to see Jesus and Lazarus whom he raised from the dead.  This context amplifies the power of Mary anointing Jesus because it was her brother who was raised and she is anointing Jesus for his burial.  This is about life and death, anointing and resurrection.  And Mary is central to it all.  We don’t get distracted by untying colts and donkeys, instead we hear the imminence of Jesus’ death, in the shadow of Lazarus being raised.  

John beautifully weaves all of this together.  The house was filled with the fragrance of perfume juxtaposed to the stench of Lazarus’ body in the tomb (11:39).  Mary anoints Jesus’ feet with pure nard, rather than anointing his head like in the other gospels.  Interestingly, Jesus will soon wash his disciples’ feet.  Mary anoints his feet and then Jesus washes the feet of his disciples. You recall in John’s gospel Jesus washes feet instead of sharing the Last Supper before his betrayal and death.

Throughout Lent we have been exploring the possibility of Mary Magdalene being lessened in the gospel accounts. A change thought to have happened in the fourth century about the same time as the scriptures were canonized.   By changing one letter, Mary the sister of Lazarus becomes two women, two sisters, Mary and Martha.  This change steals the words from Mary, so that she is not the one to proclaim Jesus the Christ.  Therefore, Mary Magdalene is diminished.  What does our text say about Mary and Martha.  Mary clearly anoints Jesus’ feet, mentioned twice (Jn. 11:2, 12:2).  The interesting part is who is serving the meal.  Our Bible says, “They gave a dinner for him (Jesus), Martha served” (12:2).  Papyrus 66 says, “there she made a dinner for him and Martha served”.  Dr. Polczer does not find variations in the text but did find four examples of Mary serving dinner.  Three Greek manuscripts and one copy of Origen’s Commentary state that Mary served dinner.  Many of you have asked where you can read Dr. Polczer’s work.  Here is a link. (dukespace.lib.duke.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/b8fc64e3-e73b-4d1f-983cee9370b9b893/content).  

I like to believe that John is naming Mary as the woman who anoints Jesus to correct the earlier telling without a name.  To show her dedication to her Lord, to remember her properly.  

If, and this is a theory being reviewed at the highest levels, if Mary Magdalene is Mary of Bethany and is Lazarus’ only sister, then she is the one who anoints Jesus’ feet.  Mary Magdalene intimately wipes Jesus’ feet with her hair.  Some have tried to make that into something salacious, but it feels more like the woman who Jesus healed of seven demons, knows the power of touch and connection.  She is preparing his body for burial even as she struggles to let him go.  Jesus gave Mary her life back, healing her and restoring her; she is utterly devoted to her Lord and Master. Remember, if Mary is really Martha, then Mary said, “I know Lazarus will rise again in the resurrection” and she said, “Yes Lord, I believe you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world” (11:24,27). According to all four gospels, Mary Magdalene witnessed the crucifixion.  She watched her master and Lord hanging from a cross (Jn 19:25, Mt. 27:56, Mk. 15:40, Ll. 23:49).

One commentator writes, “Lent is a time to remember that death is always in the air. To die is part of what it means to be human… our collective human frailty. When death strikes close to home, most are not fully prepared for the passing of loved ones. Death has a smell and death provides a memory of the loved ones lost. Yet John 12 is a reminder that death will not have the final word. Lazarus is a reminder of that promise, even though his human body will die again. The ointment is a reminder of that promise. The prepared, anointed body of Jesus, of course, is the ultimate reminder of that promise. Death will not have the final word. During the season of Lent, we remember that death will not have the final word” (Working Preacher, Emerson Powery).

As we move from celebration of Palms to the reality of Jesus’ death, we move into holy week.  Thursday we will gather at table for a soup supper and then in worship in remembrance of Jesus. We will also ask ourselves, “Is it I Lord?” pondering who betrayed Jesus (Mt 26:20-25).  But Mary Magdalene didn’t have to ask that.  She remained truly faithful to Jesus.  She witnessed his crucifixion and was the first person at the tomb, making Mary Magdalene the “Apostle to the Apostles.”  We will also celebrate a Tenebrae Service experiencing the light of Christ and the darkness of his death.  Light and dark are themes within John’s gospel.  Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life” (8:12).  John’s gospel begins with “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it” (1:5).  As we conclude our exploration of Mary Magdalene, with Magdala meaning “tower” rather than her home, making her Mary the Tower.  Mary being the only sister of Lazarus who proclaims Jesus as the Messiah. Mary who is equal to Peter the Rock on which the church will be built.  Finally, Mary Magdalene is truly the woman who proclaims Jesus the Messiah, anoints Jesus for burial, is there at the cross, the tomb and at the resurrection of our Lord.  For this, she must be remembered!

Dr. Libbie Schrader Polczer, whose discoveries led to these theories, frames the new biblical scholarship within light and dark terms.  What was hidden for millennia about Mary Magdalene, what darkened Mary’s name, was not lost.  The record is still there.  The word of God is living.  These discoveries are the light being revealed today because the darkness did not overcome it.

I started this sermon talking about John Friel.  He will be remembered as one who helped to save the Watsonville Hospital, twice.  

Peter is remembered as Peter the Rock.  

Jesus is remembered as the Christ, the Messiah.  

May Mary Magdalene be remembered as Mary the Tower, the woman who anointed Jesus’ head, the one who loved Jesus and whom Jesus loved.  The woman whom our risen Lord chose to reveal himself, making her the “Apostle to the Apostles.”  This is how Mary Magdalene, Mary the Tower, must be remembered! Amen.