Unity Church of Castro Valley
Sunday Message for April 1, 2007
Palm Sunday - Loving
Today is Palm Sunday when Jesus came into Jerusalem, but it is also about Love. Jesus always exuded love; he taught it, he demonstrated it, and he attracted it. For, whatever we put out we get back. Since Jesus loved all those around him, he attracted love wherever he went. There were several very rich women who followed him and supported his ministry. Because he helped so many people, many people wanted to help him, want to give to him.
A WOMAN ANOINTS JESUS
In all four of the gospels there is a story about a woman anointing Jesus. It is a little different in each gospel, because each author wrote it a little differently. But basically the story is this:
Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, the one Jesus had brought back from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him; Martha did the serving, and Lazarus was one of those who ate with him. Mary brought in a pound of expensive lotion and anointed Jesus' feet and wiped them with her hair. And the house was filled with the lotion's fragrance.
Judas Iscariot, the disciple who was going to turn him in, says, (John 12:5) "Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii {which would be nearly a year's wages for a laborer} and the money given to the poor?"
He didn't say this because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief. He was in charge of the common purse and now and again would pilfer money put into it.
(John 12:7-8) "Jesus said, "Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me."
So while very few of the disciples understood or believed what Jesus had told them; Mary knew that he was to die and was preparing for that.
This story which each gospel author tells with his own twist on it, was probably a story about a woman who intruded into a symposium and washed and anointed Jesus' feet. In Luke the woman is a sinner. She sheds tears on Jesus' feet and then wipes them away with her hair, which she has let down (an undignified thing for a woman to do in public). She then anoints his feet with perfume. Foot washing was a customary form of hospitality at dinner parties and in the Book of Luke, Jesus criticizes Simon, the host, because he did not provide Jesus with water to wash his feet, he did not give Jesus a greeting kiss, and he did not anoint Jesus with oil. In Luke's version the intrusive woman performed all three services for him.
The author in the Fourth Gospel has creatively set the scene with his favorite characters, Lazarus, Martha, and Mary of Bethany, which provides a connection between this story and the raising of Lazarus just told in chapter 11. In John's version Mary anoints Jesus' feet with expensive perfume and then wipes it off with her hair, rather than washing his feet before anointing them. Here, as in the Book of Mark, Jesus is being anointed in advance for his entombment.
Charles Fillmore tells us in The Revealing Word that anointing is a symbolical expression of the pouring out of the spirit of love on one who has faith in God. It is consecrating the body with the living Spirit of Christ.
Mary was pouring out her love to this man who had given them so much, the man who had brought her brother back from the dead. She knew that she would not have him here physically for much longer.
Mary represents that devotional aspect of us, which is filled with love for the Christ. The anointing of Jesus' feet symbolizes the willingness of love to serve. When we are truly operating from our sacred Christ center we are very humble; we wash the feet of our teachers.
Judas typifies the sense thought, which is filled with selfishness. The Judas consciousness believes in poverty and has no understanding of the true law of supply All that comes into consciousness is selfishly appropriated and dissipated by this thief, yet he produces nothing.
Jesus' words, "You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me," mean that our service to the down-trodden is admirable, but there are likewise times when an expression of love should be given to our Lord. We are not always aware of Him ("you do not always have me") but when we are aware of Him, the precious ointment of our devotion should be freely spent on Him. If we have a true prosperity consciousness, we know that one type of giving doesn't stop us from any other form of helpfulness.
JESUS' TRIUMPHAL ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM
When Jesus and his disciples get close to Jerusalem he sends off two of his disciples with these instructions, (Mark 11:2-3) "Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, "Why are you doing this?' just say this, "The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.'"
They set out and found a colt tied up at the door out on the street, and they untied it. Some of the people standing around started saying to them, (Mark 11:5) "What are you doing, untying the colt?" But they said just what Jesus had told them to say, so they left them alone.
So they bring the colt to Jesus, and they throw their cloaks over it; then he got on it. And many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut palm branches. Those leading the way and those following kept shouting,
(Mark 11:9-10)
"Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!"
The story of the triumphal entry was conceived under the influence of (Zechariah 9:9)
"Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem!
Lo, your king comes to you;
triumphant and victorious is he,
humble and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey."
(Matthew 21:10-11) "When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, "Who is this?" The crowds were saying, "This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee."
Jesus' ride into Jerusalem created quite a sensation, but it was a fulfillment of the prophecy of Zechariah. Jesus knew the prophecy, and this was His way of telling the people that He was their king and that He was just and lowly, even though He had brought salvation to the world through the word of God.
Metaphysically Jesus' action symbolizes the mastery of the I AM over the animal nature. The characteristics of the donkey are meekness, stubbornness, persistency, and endurance. To ride these is to make them obedient to one's will. The outer thoughts, or people, recognize that some unusual movement of mind is going on, and they fall into line.
Their cry, "Hosanna," means save now. A change of base from personal willfulness to meekness and obedience stirs the whole consciousness, or city, and there is questioning about the cause. Simply saying in the silence, "Not my will, but thine be done," often stirs up a commotion, and then there is questioning as to the cause. The answer is, "This is the prophet {one who states the spiritual law}, Jesus {the I AM} from Nazareth {place of development} in Galilee {life activity}." Turned into modern metaphysical terms this would read, "This is the supreme I AM stating the law of Spirit in development of life action."
The Gospel of Luke gives additional information as regards the triumphal journey to Jerusalem. Some Pharisees were among the many persons who followed Jesus and, probably frightened by the enthusiastic shouts of the multitude said to Him, (Luke 19:39) "Teacher, order your disciples to stop." Jesus replied, (Luke 19:40) "I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out."
The meaning of this is that it was indeed appropriate for the people to give honor to their Messiah and that even the inanimate stones would protest if the people were too blind to acclaim Him.
I would like to close with a scripture reading from
(Psalms 118:24-29)
"This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Save us, we beseech you, O Lord!
O Lord, we beseech you, give us success!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
We bless you from the house of the Lord.
The Lord is God,
and he has given us light.
Bind the festal procession with branches,
up to the horns of the altar.
You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
you are my God, I will extol you.
O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever."
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; Luke 7:36-50; John 12:1-8; Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-40; John 12:12-19; Zechariah 9:9; Psalms 118:24-29
REFERENCE: The Revealing Word Charles Fillmore; Your Hope of Glory Elizabeth Sand Turner
Last updated
April 2, 2007
