John 12:1-11
12Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 2There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. 3Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, 5“Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” 6(He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) 7Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. 8You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.” 9When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, 11since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus.

Politics as usual!  Things haven’t changed much since the days of Jesus.  Doesn’t this gospel message sound familiar in tone?

Jesus had grown used to the inflammatory remarks of the ruling Jews by now.  He must have been sick of the people who were always trying to find fault and ways to topple his popularity.  Instead of rejoicing in the fact that he healed someone; they complained that he did so on a Sunday. 

• If he dined with friends, he was accused of being a party animal.  If he dined along the way, he was condemned for not obeying the washing ritual.  When Mary tries to honor Jesus …. even one of his own group reprimands him.  And then, what really ticks me off according to the text today, the ruling Jews, the priests, were plotting to kill the man Jesus brought back from the dead to get rid of the evidence of Jesus’ power!

 The Jews in those days were both religious and political leaders….a trend that appears to be reappearing in many a nation, including the United States.  Unfortunately, too often, then as now, the ruling Jews veiled their luxurious life style in the cloak of religion.  The income from the temple assured the priestly class a privileged status way beyond what most Jews could ever attain.  Not satisfied, their greed drove them to loan money so they could seize the farms and homesteads when the loan defaulted.  They also profited from the sale of sacrificial worship items…like the doves that were the focus of Jesus’ attack in the temple.  There was no consideration of the people’s ability to pay the temple dues, generally beyond anything the poor could afford. 

•  In no uncertain terms Jesus condemns the priests’ greater love of wealth than of holiness:  “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and all kinds of filth.  ………You snakes, you brood of vipers! How can you escape being sentenced to hell!”  Mt. 23:2-4, 33

• The World Bank warned that the “unprecedented turmoil” in the financial markets, the tightening of credit, and the global economic slowdown could do “serious and in some cases permanent damage” to the world’s poorest people. This year, 100 million people have been driven into poverty. “That number will grow,” said the bank’s president, Robert Zoellick. 

• The Archbishop of Canterbury, at the end of a meeting of Christian and Muslim scholars, was asked who was responsible for the financial crisis. Dr Williams told reporters: “I was going to say Satan. . . The root problem is human greed. The priority given to the poor by Christianity and Islam was not always reflected in the realities of economic activity,” he said.

Please watch these videos by Tony Campola.  Says it all: 
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebi_EMqyOi4
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nofqe1AjRZk

Whose fault is it?  Why have the churches remained silent?  Shouldn’t we warn our congregations, not to be used by the hypocrites who might raise one issue that is Christian as an attempt to disguise the vast greed based policies they actually advocate?  As pastors, shouldn’t we be asking what Jesus would do?

Jesus taught that men and women who answered his call should put their love for God into practice by loving their neighbors as themselves.  Give us this day our daily bread.  Note: not give me this day my daily bread. 

Jesus taught his disciples…us….that we serve God by making sure that everyone has enough daily bread, that everyone is free from economic violence and exploitation, that everyone is delivered from the clutches of unjust power.  These are the basic principles we should teach as Christian pastors.  It is plain and simple! 

Speak the truth to power as Jesus did.  It is our sacred duty.  If not now, when?  Think about it.

Selfless Love Song….beautiful: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJZoXFbg3eE