Here is the key to life, Life, right here in David’s psalm, Psalm 31. In earthly terms, like David I am forgotten, useless, like a broken pot – all of us, not just those we label disabled or worthless or too old. Who cares about us? Then that holy “but,” found at least in the English translation. But the contrast is also there in the Hebrew. Here is the telling verse in-between: 13: For I have heard the whispering of the crowd; fear is all around; they put their heads together against me; they plot to take my life. The way of death and the way of life in juxtaposition in these three verses… Death, and the blunt contradiction alluded to by the ‘But’ of v. 14. That contradiction, that glorious contradiction, is defined by the Master of the Universe. Instead of a human plot to define and take life, it is a resting, a trust, in the existence of God being ‘my God’. The living God, the very fact of His existence, His Life, is what provides the grand and ultimate contrast to being forgotten, useless, and broken to whispering, fearing, plotting… death. 15 My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me. 16 Make your face to shine upon your servant, and in your loving-kindness save me.”
Here is the ultimate message on Palm/Passion Sunday. The ‘Hosannas’ of the crowd, as Jesus rides into Jerusalem on the donkey, so quickly and obscenely turn into whisperings, then calls, for his death. But, but, Jesus’s times are in God His Father’s hand. Death will come, and it is tragic…, but, but, the life-giving But prevails, and God provides the Great Rescue, His Shining Face upon His Son, His Salvific Loving-Kindness always at work. This is what we look forward to on Easter morning: real Life breaking through. In the Gospel reading also, is a prior illustration of that ultimate ‘But’ of Life – in Mark 14 a courageous woman at Simon the leper’s house in Bethany, just before the beginning of the Passover: ‘…as Jesus sat at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment of nard, and she broke open the jar and poured the ointment on his head. But some were there who said to one another in anger, “Why was the ointment wasted in this way? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor.” And they scolded her. But Jesus said, “Let her alone; why do you trouble her? She has performed a good service for me. For you always have the poor with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish; but you will not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for its burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.'”
Interesting that this scene takes place at a leper’s house. In a place that reminds us of death, we see life, abundant life. Actions that seem to mean life, saving money and being frugal and giving to the poor, Judas himself masking death with this kind of concern for life, show themselves as actions not necessarily life-giving at all, when seen in the context of more prodigal life, Life itself, Himself, sitting at this Bethany table. Soon enough, we’ll see Life breaking bread in Emmaus. Mind- and heart-boggling to think what comes between! But Life is victorious! This woman’s anointing for death becomes an announcement of Life.