honor or: what the rest of the sermon was

It begins with John 12:1-8. Mary takes a years worth of Salary and pours out it, in the form of very expensive perfume (scented oil) on the feet of Jesus. She then takes her hair and wipes those same feet. In doing so, the room gets filled with the smell of Spikenard, a fragrance not unlike pure baby powder. It is soft, supple, soothing as smells go. And, during the time of Jesus' first walk of the earth, it was worth 300 days wages (which translates to a year's salary for an average worker, or $30,000.00). Crazy, isn't it? Taking a year's worth of pay and putting it on some one's feet!! and keep in mind that those feet were in sandals walking around streets with open sewers, camel's droppings and other animals droppings all around, and other muck and scum to be stepping in and then, even with feet covered in this, she uses her hair to cleanse them.......



Go figure. How does this work? What is it she is doing?



Well, my initial question to congregation: What are you willing to sacrifice? In order to show honor to what lengths would you go? Do you know what honor means? Have you been taught it or shown it? Was it part of your culture growing up?



Honor requires recognizing and then giving respect to a person beyond simply making them an equal and being "courteous". Mary's example is one of submission to Jesus as her personal Lord and Savior. How else could she have been motivated enough to lower herself to the point of rubbing her hair on the filthiest portion of a human being during that time period and in that locale? She recognized his authority, had witnessed his power, and had witnessed his love. All this combines to compel her to show him the highest honor she could: a $30,000 foot cleansing.

It could not have happened if Mary were not raised understanding what it is to honor someone. We honor our Vets, but this is something that was turned off for a time. Remember (or at least had heard stories of) the soldiers returning from Viet Nam? They were mocked, abused, ignored for the sake of political protest. Men and women who had simply done what they were told to. Men and women who were told that to not do what they were told to could be punishable with prison or even their lives. So they followed orders, as they had done in years past, yet in doing so, the American public dishonored them. A tragedy that was attempted to be remedied years later.

Do you offer your guests the best seats? Do you offer them the last cookie? When you do, are you sincere? To honor someone is to bless them. You bless them because you have given of yourself. This is what God refers to in the 5th commandment. Honor your father and mother. With that honoring came a promised blessing. Now, honoring does not mean having to put up with or accept abuse. The Lord would never ask you to do so. Yet, you can still honor your father and mother based upon who your father and mother might be, or looking at spiritual parents, etc.

So, back to God. What of yourself are you willing to sacrifice in order to honor God? Is it 60 minutes a week? Maybe a few more? Do you tithe your income? Or, do you "give what I can?" How much honor is God due? After all, He only created the universe, spoke life into us, gave his son to us so that we could be reconciled to him, suffered for our fallen nature, empowers and equips us to move beyond this fallen state back into relationship with him........what's the big deal?

For another time, discussing Honoring the Anointing. The best example of this, beyond Mary and the other young woman who cleansed Jesus' feet, is David with Saul. Saul had been stripped of the spiritual mantle that allowed him to lead Israel. David had been anointed as king in his place. Yet, even with Saul trying to kill him, David would not raise a hand against Saul. This includes when Saul had come into the cave in which David was hiding. David was able to cut a piece of Saul's cloak away, yet never harmed a hair of Saul. Do you respect and honor the anointing of others in the same way? Even when you know you are right, do you refrain from putting them down, embarrassing them or trying to take things away from them?

Honor is part of the culture of the kingdom of God. It is an honor to serve God, we show this honor back to Him by the way we treat others, treat ourselves, worship, praise, pray, study, listen, give, and more. Honor God. Honor His Holy Things. Honor the anointing. Live into His glory.