“A lightning rod”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Monday, April 3, 2023
John 12:1-11 (Forward, p. 64) CEV p. 1117
In 1749 American statesman and inventor Benjamin Franklin invented what came to be called the lightning rod. Simply put, it is a rod attached to the top of a building or other structure and connected to the ground through a metal wire and which provides a low risk way of dissipating the electrical charge by channelling it into the ground. It is a great way of protecting houses from fire and people from harm. Though applied literally in this way, it has also taken on a more idiomatic meaning, namely as a person who attracts controversy or criticism or who arouses strong negative opinions or feelings among people.
In a very real sense, the hapless brother of Martha and Mary, Lazarus, acted in this way. He brought forth, through none of his own doing, a number of varied responses:
a) With the general public, he aroused their curiosity and somewhat morbid interest. Here was the man who had actually been dead for four days and who was now alive. He had become the spectacle number one, an instant celebrity, and so people came out to Bethany simply to see him;
b) With the authorities, this instant popularity and notoriety was something of a very real problem. His mere existence fostered an increasing faith in Jesus and an increasing desire to follow Him. This, as far as the authorities was dangerous and needed to be nipped in the bud. Their answer to this was to have Lazarus killed;
c) With Mary, his sister, his return to life elicited feelings of great joy and gratitude, gratitude especially towards Jesus, which she decided to express in a very unpractical but costly way—by anointing Him with a very special and expensive ointment;
d) And with Judas, this wasteful and, to be honest, very silly expenditure of potential funds, was an affront to his practical nature and a frustration to his greedy plans;
What this little scenario creates in me is a simple question, namely, how do we react today to God’s dealings, or, if we don’t attribute today’s events to God’s work in our world, how do we react to them?
How people react is many and varied. Some people can definitely see the good in them, and even the hand of God in them, and rejoice. Others see the potential, the potential to bring good out of bad or to help others in a very real and practical way or as way of correcting or alleviating injustice, oppression or abuse. And still others simply get angry, seeing these things as a threat or something to be feared or resisted.
Scripture has an interesting ‘take’ on this, a very useful counter prospective to the way that we often look at things. Israel’s exodus from slavery in Egypt and its long sojourn in the wilderness had long and lasting effects: it knit them together as a nation. Her exile in Babylon also had benefits, in the establishment of the synagogue. The Greek conquest of Israel resulted a common language of commerce throughout the ancient world and Rome’s empire brought about a much-needed reprieve from banditry and war, the so-called Pax Romana. The persecution of the Church after the death of Stephen resulted in its spread. And, of course, the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus had such positive consequences for us and the world that it has never been the same. So, while many events or people can figuratively serve as ‘lightning rods’ in the popular discourse and elicit negative emotions or opinions, let us instead see them as illustrations or opportunities, as illustrations of God’s hand at work in our world, or as opportunities for us to work with Him and make a difference. Amen.
Forward notes: “Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’s feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume” (verse 3).
I once received a very unexpected, generous gift from loving people, but I did not feel worthy of accepting it. Not wanting to hurt their feelings, I confided in a friend, who gently chided me about not having humility to accept this ‘nard moment.’
“Jesus accepted Mary’s gift, whereas Judas viewed the gift as wasteful, suggesting they sell the perfume and give the money to the poor. Jesus saw through his ruse (Judas was the bookkeeper and intended to pocket the proceeds) and told Judas to leave her alone. Jesus had the humility to
accept Mary’s gift, even though the nard foreshadowed the perfume of his burial.
“As we enter Holy Week, we can sometimes cling to notions of our unworthiness and bemoan our sins and shortcomings. But Holy Week is a time when we are invited to claim our dignity as being made in God’s image and to receive the gift of God’s extravagant love. It is our ‘nard moment’ if we will but receive the gift!”
Moving Forward: “What gifts from God can you graciously receive this week?”