Sermon March 5, 2025 – Ash Wednesday

Title: Following Jesus, Our Greatest Giver - Following Jesus in generosity
Text: Mark 14: 3-9

Facebook live: Following Jesus in generosity 

6 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 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. 8 She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. 9 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.”

Our dear Lord Jesus rebuked those who so lovelessly criticized the woman for pouring the expensive perfume on His head. They accused her of reckless waste, even implying she was negligent in her care for the poor. But Jesus both defended and commended the woman.

“Leave her alone. Why are you causing her trouble? She has done a beautiful work for Me.”

Anointing Jesus with this expensive perfume was not at all a waste, but a generous and loving gift for the Lord. It truly was a beautiful work! For the woman's gift was very expensive; it could have been sold for more than 300 denarii, her critics said.

This perfume was worth about what a laborer would earn in a whole year!

That's a very generous gift. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if the purchase of this perfume used up most or all her life savings!

Her work was beautiful also because she gave her gift freely.

No one forced or pressured her to do this. Quite to the contrary, she received a scolding for giving so freely.

But she chose to honor Jesus with this expensive gift just because that's what she wanted to do.

Jesus commended the woman's work also because He knew it was a gift of love.

Mark's account doesn't disclose the identity of this woman, but John's Gospel tells us the one who poured the perfume on Jesus was Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. Jn. 12:3

This is the same Mary who sat at Jesus' feet and listened to His word when He was a house guest. So, for her, a very generous gift was in order, as far as she was concerned.

Mary's work was beautiful especially because she did it for such a good purpose – to anoint Jesus' body beforehand for burial. You see, this was the burial custom of that time: to wash the person's body, anoint the body with perfume or spices, and wrap the body in cloth.

So, this was actually a pre-burial preparation. Jesus said,

She took it upon herself beforehand to anoint My body for burial.

Mary's beautiful work suggests she had understood Jesus' words when He foretold His impending death, and that she had taken His words to heart.

Maybe she thought this might just be her last chance to honor Jesus with this special gift. So, she poured out the precious perfume on her precious Savior.

Mary's gift was very generous, worth 300 denarii or more.

But Jesus' gift was vastly more generous, of truly priceless value!

For Jesus gave far more than perfume or jewels or silver or gold; He gave His precious blood – the blood of the Son of God!

The Man, who is God, gave His entire self into death for us – all His righteousness, all His obedience, all His divine goodness, His pure and holy body – He gave it all.

Jesus, too, gave freely, and voluntarily. Though wicked men arrested Him, falsely accused Him, unjustly condemned Him, and crucified Him, no one forced Jesus to suffer and die.

Rather, He humbled Himself and chose to give His life as an act of His own will.

No one takes My life from Me; I lay it down of Myself. Jn. 10:18

And who can match Jesus' gift when it comes to love?

Christ loved us and gave Himself for us. Eph. 5:2

In this we know love, that He lay down His life for us. 1 Jn. 3:16

His free and loving generosity make Jesus' gift the most beautiful work of all!

Mary's gift pointed forward to Jesus' death and burial; Jesus' gift is the real thing. He gave His body into death to atone for all our sins and gain forgiveness for all mankind.

Be certain of this: because of Jesus' generous giving, your sins are forgiven, period.

The devil may accuse you of sin.
Other people may lifelessly criticize you and find fault with you.
Your own conscience may point out your offenses against God and condemn you for them.

But God has pardoned you fully for the sake of Jesus' gift. He has laid all your transgressions aside. God now defends you as His own dear child and commends you for the beautiful works you do out of faith in Him.

And those beautiful works include your generosity as you follow the Lord Jesus in love of others.

Our Savior calls us to this, you understand – to follow Him in generosity.

I have given you an example, that just as I have done for you, you also should do. Jn 13:15

We cannot give our lives for the salvation of the world, of course. Praise God, that jobs already done! But with hearts full of thanksgiving for what Jesus has given us, we most certainly can follow Jesus' example of generous giving.

So, when we give to help others who are in need, and when we bring offerings to the Lord, we should strive to heed His command and follow the pattern He has established for us.

Jesus gave us his best!

Jesus did not give as an afterthought, but according to the plan of salvation that God established from the foundation of the world.

So, when it comes to our offerings to the Lord, we should make a thoughtful plan to give generously, in proportion to the way He has blessed us. Like the Macedonian Christians, who gave according to their ability, and even beyond their ability (2 Cor. 8:3), we can and should give a generous portion of all that God provides us to honor the Lord.

There is to be no compulsion involved in our works of love and our offerings to the Lord.

Nor do we give grudgingly, but freely and cheerfully because we want to, out of thanksgiving - “each as he purposes in his heart,” as the Lord says. (2 Cor .9:7)

There is no New Testament ceremonial law involved here. Rather, in the same way, our Lord teaches us to give generously out of love – love for Him and for our neighbor. Genuine love is always love indeed – love such as Mary showed Jesus – love such as Jesus showed us all.

It is love that sees others in need and gives generously to help them.

 
It is love that hears the word of the Lord and does what He says.

If we truly love, we give generously. If we give without love, our giving is not truly following Jesus.

Finally, we follow Jesus in generosity when we give for a good purpose, to thank the Lord and support His gospel ministry and other works of mercy.

The people of Israel gave generously for the service of God's gospel purposes, to construct and support the operation of the tabernacle.

For that was the place where the Lord received the Old Testament sacrifices, through which He bestowed the forgiveness of sins on His people. So, they gave abundantly, so abundantly they had to be told to stop giving! Ex. 36:5-6

In the same way, we bring generous offerings to support the Lord's work of bestowing His gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation right here in this place through the preaching and teaching of His word, Baptism, and the Lord's Supper; also supporting the Lord's work of caring for those who are poor and needy as you have done with St. Paul’s food pantry!

These are very fine, God-pleasing purposes for generous giving.

Friends, our Lord Jesus was right. Wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what Mary did for Him has been told in memory of her.

And as we remember her beautiful generosity in anointing Jesus beforehand for burial, we remember all the more our Lord's supreme generosity in giving His life for our forgiveness and everlasting salvation.

With thankful hearts, then, may we all rededicate ourselves to following Him in generosity.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit!

Amen