Palm Sunday
In Sunday’s reading, Mary anoints Jesus with expensive perfume.
In the Old Testament, anointing turns men into kings. In addition, anointing is also a part of the funeral rites.
So, Mary, by anointing Jesus, shows that she understands that Jesus’s suffering and death is his coronation and path to glory.
But, this upsets Judas who thinks that Mary has “wasted” expensive perfume.
Judas, like the crowds who will shortly shout, “Hosanna,” wants to save the money to wage an armed revolt against Rome.
What they don’t realize is that the kingdoms of this world are passing away, and the Kingdom of Heaven comes to reign by means of the cross.
Scripture: John 12:1-18 (click here to read)
Bottom Line: Glory is a man humbly riding a donkey to meet his death.
Discussion Questions
- At the beginning of the passage, Mary anoints Jesus with perfume. “Anointed” in Greek is “Christos.” How do you understand the significance of Jesus’s anointing here? What does it mean?
- To justify Mary’s use of the expensive perfume, Jesus says that we will always have the poor with us (v. 8). How do you reconcile that with the command to “love your neighbor”?
- Last Sunday, we saw that Jesus shows himself to be king by the way he dies and suffers. What signs of humility do you see in Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem? What do you think the people thought would happen by welcoming Jesus this way? How is God’s vision bigger than the people’s vision of a renewed Israel?
- The authorities wanted to kill Lazarus, who is a witness of God at work among his people. What does this say about how the world receives us, who are also witnesses of God at work today? How can we remain faithful and humble witnesses even when the world is against us?
Moving Forward
It’s much easier for us to go from Palm Sunday to Pascha by skipping Jesus’s suffering during Holy Week. But Jesus doesn’t draw people to himself by celebrations–he does so by the cross (John 12:32, click here to read). How will you pick up your cross this week and allow Jesus’s suffering to be transformative for you?
Changing Your Mind
“His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written of him and had been done to him.” (John 12:16 NRSV)
Thanks Father Dustin for your helpful review of this powerful moment. I also wonder if Judas at this point in time might be filled with envy of what just happened. Envious fillings can drive one to do spiteful things. Envy may have been the emotion Judas needed to lead to the kiss of betrayal that was soon to come. Judas, while we know little about him, is, for me, on of the most complicated of biblical characters.
That’s a good question. And I think you might be on to something . . . it’s very possible that Judas was envious.
One of the Orthodox hymns sung at the “Last Supper” service goes like this:
“While the glorious Disciples were being illumined at the washing of the feet during the Supper, then, too, did Judas the ungodly one, succumb to darkness, being sick with avarice. And he delivered You, the righteous Judge, to lawless judges. Look here, O lover of money, and see the one who for money’s sake hanged himself. Flee from the greed that made him dare commit such a deed against the Teacher. O Lord benevolent to all, glory be to You.”
Many of the same themes you mention . . .
Very interesting. The hymn you quote reminds me that Judas was likely filled with many emotions and motives. He, of course, was a multifaceted person like all of us. Thanks for your helpful insight and resource. AF
Thanks for your comments and insights!