Compare and Contrast

Mark. 14.3-11

Introduction 

The world has changed a lot in the last year. Many of us are doing things we never could have guessed we’d be doing. The national response to COVID 19 has altered life. I never would have thought ever that we would have gone 3 months without meeting together as a church. I never would have thought that masks would be required in any public setting. And Bethany and I never ever thought that we would be homeschooling.

But for now we have decided to homeschool. I don’t know what we’ll do moving forward but our kids have not been to the school since they shut down last March. Part of the curriculum our younger kids, Haddon and Sophia, are doing is compare and contrast exercises. They’ll have a worksheet with two pictures side by side that look very similar, but there will be one or two differences. The goal is for the kids to compare the pictures, understand how they’re similar, and also to contrast the pictures, to understand how they’re different.

We’re going to do a compare and contrast exercise with this pericope. Mark does this often in his narrative where he places two scenes next to each other for us to understand how they’re similar and discern how they’re different. He does that here with Judas and the woman who anoints Jesus. Mark doesn’t give us the name of the woman but we know from John that it is Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus.

Mark 14 begins what Christians have historically called the passion of Christ. The word passion comes from the Latin root pati, which means suffering or enduring. The passion of Christ was his suffering on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. So as we move forward with the rest of Mark’s Gospel we cannot disconnect these narratives with Jesus’ death. This text is about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ to save sinners.

Compare

There are a number of similarities between the woman with the perfume and Judas Iscariot. First, both are remembered. Judas is forever known as the betrayer of Christ. Much like Benedict Arnold, being referred to, as a Judas is synonymous with traitor. As long as the story of Jesus of Nazareth is told, Judas will be remembered.

In a similar way Jesus says of this woman, “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.” This woman is still remembered to this day. Jesus said it, Mark under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit wrote it down, and the church has remembered her for 2,000 years. We are fulfilling this prediction right now as I preach this sermon and Christ Community Church receives this sermon. Just like his prediction of the destruction of the temple in AD 70, once again that Jesus’ prediction is true.

We must also note that Mark uses the word gospel once again – the Greek εὐαγγέλιον. Mark loves the gospel. He uses the word more than Matthew, Luke, or John. Mark uses the word εὐαγγέλιον 7 times (Mark 1.1, 14-15; 8.35; 10.29; 13.10; 14.9), 8 times if you count the long ending of Mark (Mark 16.15). The gospel is what Mark’s book is all about. The gospel is what the Bible is all about.

The gospel is the good news of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ to reverse the curse of Adam. Jesus lived without sin, securing righteousness. Jesus died as a substitute in the place of sinners securing the forgivness of sin. Jesus resurrected on the third day securing future resurrection for all who will repent and believe in Christ alone. If you are not trusting in Christ, hear the gospel this morning. Look to Jesus alone for your hope and salvation!

Speaking of the death of Christ, a second similarity between this woman and Judas is that they are key componenets of the death of Jesus. We are good Reformed Christians here at Christ Community Church and so we understand that there is a compatibleistic reality going on with these two people. Both the woman and Judas are doing exactly what they want to do. They are not mindless robots. They are acting out the desires of their hearts. 

The heart of Judas is unregenerate. Pastor Kevin said it last week, there are only 2 kinds of people in the history of the world. Those who love Christ and those who hate Christ. This is what we read from the Canons of Dort earlier. Judas hated Christ. He bratrayed his Lord. This woman loved Christ. She worshipped him.

Yet while they are acting on the genuine desire of their hearts, God is sovereignly orchastrating all things. There is not a single moment in history, not a single act of humanity, that is outside of the utterly soverieng rule of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I’m the type of movie viewer that writers love because I never figure out the ending. I am always surprised. Some of you figure things out half way through films. Not me. I’m too dumb. God is not like me watching a movie. He wasn’t shocked that Judas was the betrayer. Judas was created to be the betrayer of Christ. Jesus said it would have been better for him to never be born. Likewise this woman didn’t fully understand what she was doing, but God sovereignly ordained that the body of Jesus would be anointed for burial through her worship.

One final comparison is that both Judas and the woman view moneyas a result of their heart posture toward Christ. Verse 11 says that the chief priests promised to give Judas money for his betrayal of Jesus Christ. Mark doesn’t specify the amount but the other Gospels make it clear that it was 30 pieces of silver. Mark tells us that the woman anointed Jesus with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly (vs. 3). In his commentary on the Gospel of Mark Bill Lane gives us helpful historical perspective on this ointment:

The costly perfume is identified as nard, the aromatic oil extracted from a root native to India. To retain the fragrance of nard, enough ointment for one application was sealed in small alabaster flasks. The long neck of the flask had to be broken to release the aroma. Early in the first century Pliny the Elder remarked that ‘the best ointment is preserved in alabaster.’ The value of the perfume, and its identification as nard, suggests that it was a family heirloom that was passed on from one generation to another, from mother to daughter.

Mark also tells us that the disciples who were angry about what the woman did said that the ointment was worth 300 denarii. We’ve noted before in our study of Mark that a denarii was worth about a days wage. So when you factor in all of the Sabbath days this perfume was worth an average year’s salary. In 2019 the median income in the United States was $31,133. So this would be like a $30,000 bottle of perfume. Both Judas and the woman viewed money in light of their view of Christ.

Contrast

Those are some of the ways these two are similar, now let’s think about how they are different. Let’s contrast Judas and the woman. I just mentioned their similarity with money, how are they different? Judas is selling Jesus out for a little bit of money. This woman is sacrificing a great deal of money for Jesus. Like I said, Mark doesn’t mention it but the other Gospels tell us Judas betrayed Christ for 30 pieces of silver. That’s it, 30 bucks. On the other hand this woman is showing what appears to be reckless abandon for a family heirloom worth 30k.

How else are they different?  The public nature of their actions is different. Judas acts in secrecy. He privately goes to the chief priests to betray Jesus in the shadows. The woman anoints Jesus in front of all of the guests at this dinner party. Like Garth Brooks, she’s shameless.

We also shouldn’t gloss over this fact, she’s a woman and Judas is a man. Actually, she’s the only woman in the whole narrative and apart from Jesus, who is the sinless Son of God; she’s the only one who acts rightly. The disciples rebuke her, the chief priest are paying for a hit on Jesus, and Judas is the rat, all of these men are sinning. This woman is not.

Culturally she was way out of line. In the 1st century when dinner parties like these were happening the men would all eat together and women were not allowed in the room unless they were serving the men. But she doesn’t care about cultural faux pas. She comes to Jesus and drenches him head to toe in $30,000 perfume. John tells us she wipes his feet with her hair.

What a beautiful reminder to us. The Scripture is clear that God has called men to lead his church as Elders and to lead the home as husbands and fathers, but the church has never had a shortage of faithful women. In a room full of men concerned about money, she was concerned about Christ. Thank God for her and for the faithful women of Christ Community Church!

A third difference between Judas and this woman is how they are preparing Christ for death. In God’s providence they are both preparing Christ for death, but they are doing it in different ways with contrasting hearts. In his hatred for Christ Judas is handing Jesus over to be unlawfully murdered. Even if she doesn’t fully understand what she’s doing, this woman is anointing Jesus’ body for burial. Jesus says, she has done a beautiful thing to me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial.

On Good Friday Jesus was crucified. After he died the Jews rushed to get his body down before sunset because of Sabbath. He was buried in the unused tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. Because they were so rushed there was no time to prepare his body for burial. But in the providence of God this woman would prepare Jesus’ body for burial.

This is theologically imperative because the burial of Christ is essential to orthodox Christianity. Jesus Christ didn’t merely die and resurrect, he died, was buried, and resurrected. Jesus was buried because he was truly man and he truly died. He had to die because we have to die because of our sin. Jesus had to experience all of the judgment due to us for our sin. The day that you eat of the tree you will surely die (Gen 2.17). Jesus died and was buried.

Karl Barth said an idea or a message or an angel cannot be buried. But a man is buried. This is why the holy sacrament of baptism is so important. Sometimes we think of our baptism as identifying with the baptism of Christ, and there’s some truth to that. But even more so our baptism identifies with the burial of Christ. When we are baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit we make the public profession that we have died with Christ, have been buried with Christ, and have resurrected with Christ. Let me encourage you, if you have trusted in Christ and you have not been baptized, you must follow Jesus in obedience. Baptism is the first act of obedience as a Christian. If you want to talk about baptism please come see Pastor Kevin or myself after the service. We’d love to talk to you about joining Christ Community Church.

Christ

As we compare and contrast Judas and the woman with the perfume it becomes clear that the greatest difference lies in their heart toward Christ. Both are instrumental in preparing the death of Christ. Judas, out of hatred for Christ, turns him over secretly to be murdered. The woman, out of love for Christ, publically anoints his body for burial.

Where is your heart in relation to the death of Christ? Do you, like Judas, just wish Jesus were dead? Do you want to live like Jesus isn’t alive reigning over the world? Or like this woman do you want Jesus publically worshipped regardless of what others say about you? That’s hard, isn’t it? Fear of man is a reality. If we want to follow Jesus publically and faithfully people are going to think we’re crazy, or stupid, or reckless. They’re going to say that we’re not inclusive or hateful. They may call us unloving. We’re going to be told we’re on the wrong side of history. Jesus warned us that the world hated him and they’re going to hate us too.

What about your view of money? Both Judas and the woman viewed money in relation to Christ. Judas betrayed Jesus for $30. This woman gave $30,000 to worship Christ. How does your heart for Christ affect the way you view money? 

Do you worship money? Are you willing to abandon Jesus for $30? Is working every Sunday to maximize your income and retirement more important that gathering to worship the triune God with your covenant community? Do you sacrifice your marriage or family to the almighty dollar? Do you barter with God over nickels and dimes? 

Maybe you’re thinking I wouldn’t sell Jesus out for $30, but is $30k too high a price to pay? I mean, I love Jesus, but be resonable. Do you justify not giving because you need a certain standard of living after you retire? Or you want to leave X amount of dollars to your children? Those things aren’t wrong, but if you’re robbing God for your own financial goals then you are acting more like Judas than this woman who is praised by Jesus Christ.

There is no one size fits all answer to these questions. That’s what fundamentalism seeks to do. It seeks to give one easy answer to everyone but in doing so it creates extra biblical legalism. Certain groups say you should tithe to the penny, when in reality most of us should probably give more.

I can’t give you an easy answer to how you publically live as a Christian or how you view money. But I can ask an easy question; is Jesus Christ your motivation? Does a love for Christ fuel every single thing you do in your life? Does worship for Christ drive how you view money, marriage, parenting, church, work? We can only do so when we have placed our faith in Christ alone and the Father gives us the Holy Spirit. That’s the new covenant we read about in our call to worship. The Holy Spirit replaces our hearts of stone with a heart that beats for Jesus. When he does then we believe. The Spirit regenerated this woman and so she worshipped out of love for Christ. The Spirit did not regenerate Judas so he worked out of hatred for Christ.

This is why we need to repent and believe the gospel. This is why we need the Word and the sacrament every week. We need the grace and mercy of God. Ask God fill your heart with love for Christ.

Conclusion

As we compare and contrast Judas and the woman with the perfume we can’t help but realize that our hearts are not that cut and dry. We can act like both Judas and Mary sometimes within minutes. Believers are saints and sinners. We are image bearers but we are also fallen. That’s why the real hero of this story is the one who was betrayed and buried. 

The point of this sermon isn’t be like Mary and not Judas. The point of this sermon is look to Jesus who died for your sin and who can give you a new heart to love him. As we live in this world that has changed so much this last year there is one thing that has never changed: Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures. He was buried and he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures (1st Cor 15.3) Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead and you will be saved (Rom 10.9).