As I was thinking about this sermon, I received a call from a friend in Boston. We were talking about her field education site at First Church in Nashua, NH. When she said that she was preaching on the fifth Sunday in Lent, I said, "What a coincidence, I’m preaching on those same texts on March 28th." Jokingly, I asked her if she really was preaching on the fifth Sunday in Lent since it was April Fool’s Day, after all. Maybe she would stand up in the pulpit and the senior pastor would say, "You’re not really preaching, April Fool’s!" Not only that, Daylight Savings Time begins on April 1^st so my friend, after losing an hour of sleep, has to make the hour-long drive from Boston to Nashua and arrive by 7:30 AM to prepare for the 8:30 service. Needless to say, thank goodness I’m preaching midweek, just a few hundred feet from home, and I don’t have to think about April Fool’s jokes or Daylight Savings Time.

As the conversation continued, my friend and I recalled that song, "Everything’s Alright," from the musical Jesus Christ Superstar, the song in which Mary anoints Jesus, as in today’s reading from John. If you know the song, wouldn’t you agree that it is an interesting interpretation of this morning’s gospel reading? I bet some of you were thinking that I, one of those Hebrew Bible scholars, would be preaching on the Isaiah text this morning. After all, even a contributor to April’s Lectionary Homiletics says, "I would encourage preachers to choose the Isaiah reading, and preach on it alone, avoiding the traditional links (forced by the church calendar) between Isaiah and John’s version of the anointing" (Schenck, 5). This particular contributor notes that the Isaiah passage is "… an odd reading … to include among the Lenten lections. Where traditional Lenten theology calls for somber introspection and sometime[s] sacrifice, here’s a proclamation of deliverance and a call to celebration. This reading stands out as the one least likely to be preached on this particular Sunday, since it cuts so cleanly across the grain of our conventional liturgical understandings" (Schenck, 5).

Well, I admit this may be so, but doesn’t "somber introspection" lead to proclamations of deliverance and a call to celebration? In my case I entered the realm of "somber introspection" in order to prepare for this sermon, but I left that realm wanting to proclaim and celebrate. Many have focused on how Jesus’ anointing in John 12:1-8 is in preparation for the somber sacrifice he is about to make, but I would like to offer another reading of John 12:1-8. I’m trying to do two things in this sermon: (1) shed light on today’s readings, especially the John text, and, (2) since this is my first sermon at BTS, introduce myself to this community of faith. To accomplish these goals I will recount the gospel story, commenting on various phrases and motifs. Then, I’ll talk about my understanding of what it means to be anointed. Finally, I’ll move on to talk about my own sense of being anointed and my response to that anointing.

Our story begins with women playing the leading roles, an interesting phenomenon in John. Martha serves dinner, and Mary anoints Jesus’ feet with a pound of costly perfume, wiping his feet with her hair. What is the significance of Mary wiping Jesus’ feet? In Matthew and Mark (Mt 26:6-13; Mk 14:3-9) a woman anoints Jesus’ head. Here and in Luke (7:36-50) a woman anoints his feet. What’s the significance of the feet here in John? I would suggest that it foreshadows the foot washing in John 13:1-20. One commentator adds that the Greek verb "to wipe" ( ; see also 11:2) "is the same verb used to describe Jesus’ wiping of his disciples’ feet at the foot washing in John 13:5. Mary’s anointing and wiping of Jesus’ feet thus point toward Jesus’ foot washing at the farewell meal" (O’Day, 701). Wiping the feet in both contexts is said to be a sign of humility, hospitality, and servitude.

As a result of the quantity and quality of the perfume, we are told that the house was filled with a strong fragrance. A pound of perfume, no wonder it filled the house with a strong fragrance! Why so much expensive perfume and such an emphasis on its fragrance? As Gail O’Day has noted, in John 11:39, Martha tried to prevent Jesus from entering Lazarus’s tomb because of the stench that would have come out of it. It is through Mary’s act of anointing that the stench of death once lingering over this household has been replaced by "the fragrance of love and devotion" (O’Day, 701).

In the Jesus Christ Superstar song "Everything’s alright, " Mary is depicted as comforting Jesus: Don’t worry; don’t focus on problems that upset you for everything’s alright; everything’s ok. We want to look out for your interest. Get some rest and forget about us for a while. Prepare your heart for anointing and everything will be fine. The ointment will soothe the fire in your head and feet. Close your eyes and relax. Turn off your thoughts for a while. Mary provides Jesus with some much-needed TLC and pastoral care.

Let’s turn back to the gospel of John. Now another character enters the scene. Mary’s actions are countered by the words of Judas. Note the harsh evaluation of Judas and the motivation for his behavior (12:6). One commentator has noted that "[t]he lengthy description of Judas in v. 4 serves two purposes. First, it makes the connection with Jesus’ death explicit (see also 6:71; 18:2, 5), and second, it delegitimates Judas’s protest before he even speaks.… Mary is the model of faithful discipleship, Judas unfaithful" (O’Day, 701-2). Mary shows her love and devotion for Jesus, preparing and anointing him for the events that lie ahead, while Judas is symbolic of betrayal and the obstacles that lie ahead.

In the song to which I’ve been referring, Judas scolds Mary for wasting money. After all, don’t the poor and hungry deserve food more than Jesus deserves the ointment? In the song there is no reference to Judas’ motivation. He is not vilified.

Going back to John again, Jesus’ response is "leave her alone. She bought it for my burial. You will always have the poor, but not me." This verse reinforces the limited time of Jesus’ presence among the disciples and the urgency for them to respond to Jesus while he is still here (cf. 11:9-10). It is Mary who has recognized this limitedness and responds to it (O’Day, 702).

In the song "Everything’s Alright," Jesus insists that we don’t have the resources to save the poor from their lot: "There will be poor always, pathetically struggling. Look at the good things you’ve got. Think while you still have me. Move while you still see me. You’ll be lost, and you’ll be sorry when I’m gone." Jesus’ response in this song is much stronger than the one represented in the gospel of John. What are we to make of this difference? The song returns to Mary’s refrain: "Sleep and I shall soothe you, calm you, and anoint you. . . ." In fact, Mary has the last word in this song. As Gail O’Day has noted, John 12:1-8, and I would add, its interpretation in "Everything’s Alright," "names a woman as the first to embody the love that is commanded of all disciples. [John’s] eschatological vision of a community shaped by love and grounded in relationship to Jesus is first enacted by a female disciple who by conventional standards has no claim to that position" (O’Day, 703). Mary is there for Jesus, caring for him when he needs care.

Why do I say this? Look what lies ahead in John’s gospel. This story of Jesus’ anointing in John’s gospel is followed by Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem (12:12-19); his washing of the disciples’ feet (13:1-20); several lengthy discourses (chapters 14-17); his arrest (chapter 18); his appearances before Caiaphas and Pilate, his flogging, crucifixion, and death in chapter 19; and his appearance to Mary Magdalene and the disciples (chapter 20). In effect, with this anointing in chapter 12, Jesus is preparing for the "big events" that follow. In addition, just before this story in 12:1-8, we learned that Jesus’ death sentence is imminent (11:47, 53, 57). Thus, Mary’s act of anointing is the care Jesus needs now.

In the Hebrew Bible to anoint ( ) usually means to rub or smear oil on someone or something. This connotes a setting apart or a change in status (Seybold, 45). Kings like Saul, David, Solomon, and four or five others are anointed. In these cases, Yahweh or Yahweh’s agent (e.g., Samuel or another prophet) does the anointing. Obviously, in the John story Jesus has been set apart to perform specific tasks. In that story, Mary is God’s agent who does the anointing.

Have you been anointed? Well, I’ve been thinking about how I would answer this question. If you would have asked me last fall, I would have said, "I don’t think so. Well, maybe earning my Ph.D. was my anointing." A providential sequence of events has caused me to rethink my answer.

Late in the summer, I received a letter from Sue Davies, the Academic Dean at Bangor Theological Seminary, stating that someone had nominated me for the position of Librarian at BTS. Enclosed was a job description. I looked it over and saw that one of the "requirements" was "the ability to walk on water." I thought, well at least they have a sense of humor. Where is Bangor anyway? After looking at a map, I put the letter aside. In an interesting turn of events, a new senior pastor was appointed at the church in Cambridge that I had been attending since January 2000. I knew her from when I worked at Andover Newton Theological School in Newton, MA from 1996-1998, but I had not seen or talked with her since then so I scheduled an appointment to catch up with her. I mentioned the letter from Sue, told her that I had recently finished my Ph.D., and was searching for the next chapter in my life. She encouraged me to apply so remember, it’s all her fault! I talked with a few other people, including the person who had nominated me, and decided to apply. After that, things moved quickly, I had two phone interviews and two days of on-campus interviews. A job offer came shortly after I returned to Boston. I had a week to make a decision.

Now I must tell you that, being a librarian and all, I’m an information gatherer. So, I made my list of pros and cons and talked with as many people as I could. During my decision-making process, I felt a profound sense of vocation, something I have not ever felt quite so strongly. Now, what was that all about? As I look back, remember hindsight is 20/20, I think I felt a sense of anointing by this community. Having recently finished a dissertation, I was in need of some TLC and healing. Rather than being an anointing, writing and finishing a dissertation was more like baptism by fire! During my visit to BTS, I felt that people in this community cared for me and would give me the support and TLC I would need to do this job well. I had the sense that I had been set apart to provide service to this community. Who performed this anointing? Most everyone I met participated—members of the faculty, administration, trustees, and, especially the students.

I left my interview with the great realization that, on paper, I was thoroughly prepared for this job. I had the credentials, just like Paul did in Phil 3:4b-6. By listing my credentials I could recite what has God done for me (just as in Isa 43:16-17). I had the red robe that went with a Ph.D. from Boston University, very costly and very visible, but not too fragrant. But the credentials and the preparation were not enough. I felt that I could be anointed here, cared for and set apart for service and leadership. The God of the Exodus was doing a new thing with me. The God who made a path in the seas was now creating a new thing in my life. This new thing included a way in the wilderness, a river in the desert, and wilderness animals that honored God. Well, I found my way out of the wilderness of Boston, up through the wilderness of I-95, to BTS. In the short time I’ve been here I’ve found the BTS community to be a river in the desert. I have been given water (up here it’s frozen water perhaps!) so that I might declare God’s praise. The library staff has been very supportive so I asked as many of them as possible to participate in this service. I have used my past, my former things, to allow a new thing to evolve.

As Paul says in Phil 3:4b-14, I have not yet attained the goal, but I press on to make it my own. Unlike Paul, I can’t "forget" what lies behind, but I can focus on what lies ahead. I remember the former things, but don’t obsess about them and lose sight of the future. In other words, I no longer identify myself by my past achievements, but by the anointing I have received by this community.

Now let me assure you that I have difficulty accepting this anointing. Just like it is difficult for me to wear this academic garb, it is difficult for me to accept my sense of anointing. Perhaps you can understand that feeling. Sometimes it is hard to accept a caring or healing act from someone you do not know very well. It is not always easy for me to accept gifts of grace and healing and to be set aside for leadership.

During my recent bout with the flu, I received a continual anointing by many of you. You reached out in healing ways. A simple kind word can be strong medicine.

In the gospel lesson today, Judas’ objections distracted from Jesus’ anointing. What distracts from our anointings? Concern for the poor is obviously more important than my anointing, but shouldn’t we honor our anointings so that we can better serve others. Now, my answer to the question "have you been anointed?" is "yes, I think so, and continue to be."

Ask yourself the same question and maybe follow up with these questions. What is my anointing? With what have I been anointed? I assume not with costly perfume. Who has anointed me? Someone like Mary? How have I been anointed? For what "big events" am I being anointed? What are my "former things," my "things of old?" What is my "new thing"? What is my "river in the wilderness"? Toward what am I "pressing on"?

In this season of Lent, a season of somber introspection and sacrifice, can we embrace and honor our anointings? Isn’t this what Jesus calls us to do in Jn 12:1-8, to put aside for a moment or two our personal piety and worldly concerns so that we may experience something completely astonishing? A woman like Mary anoints the feet, not the head, of a man like Jesus with costly perfume. Then, she wipes his feet with her hair. In this season of Lent, let us be open to the great things God has done for us and the new things God is doing. Let us not be so introspective that we lose sight of the enormity of God’s creative, redemptive, and sustaining power.

O’Day, Gail. "John." Pages 493-865 in v. 9 of The New Interpreter’s Bible. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1995.

Schenck, Carl L. "Preaching the Lesson." Lectionary Homiletics 12:5 (April 2001): 5-7, 16.

Schlier, Heinrich. " ." Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1964-1976. 1:229-232.

Seybold, K. "." Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974- 9:43-54.

Webber, Andrew Lloyd (music) and Tim Rice (lyrics). "Everything’s Alright." Jesus Christ Superstar: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. 1973.