Broken Together

"So they gave a dinner for Him there; Martha was serving them, and Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him."  John 12:2

I have always loved this scene from John's gospel.  Not only does this passage give us a beautiful picture of Christ with his friends but also a portrait of the church.  When we go through the roll of those present we realize that this is an interesting cast of characters that Jesus is hanging around with.  We see that Lazarus is there (a former corpse), they are believed to be at Simon's house (a former leper) and we also have Martha (the workaholic) and Mary (the humble worshipper).  And of course reading a little further there is Judas who is an example of hypocrisy and self-interest.  Not at all unlike those we encounter each and every Sunday morning.

First of all, there are what I call the "formers."  Truthfully, every person who has a relationship with Christ falls into this category.  The Bible tells us that we are new creations in Christ.  We are former liars, thieves and enemies of God (the list could go on and on).  I believe we forget that far too often.  I spoke at a rehab facility one time and was told that the guys I would be sharing with were former drug addicts and alcoholics.  So often guys in those situations are labeled for the rest of their lives.  I shared with them that they were looking at and hearing from a "former" as well and that when they went to church they would worship with a whole collection of folks who were as well.  God reminds the Israelites all throughout Scripture of where they came from and that HE was the one who delivered them.  When we forget where we came from we become prideful versions of ourselves.  This pride leads us to look down on others and forget the Gospel that changed us.  We should never glory in or wallow in our past, but instead be thankful to the One who set us free.  Can you imagine how Lazarus and Simon worshipped Christ that day?  One had been physically dead and the other socially dead.  Now both were reclining at a table with Jesus - together.

Second, think about Martha.  It should not surprise us that we read that she was "serving."  As we read in other passages this was in her DNA.  She was always busy, sometimes missing what was most important.  Jesus reminded her in Luke 10:38-42 that she worried about way too many things and in the process she neglected what mattered the most.  I wonder how many of us fall into this category?  Our lives are so busy and go at such a fast pace that I fear we miss simply sitting at the feet of Christ.  When this takes place we begin to view worship as a box to be "checked off" rather than a time to just bask in the greatness of Christ.  After all, we have a lot to do right?  Maybe we should stop for a moment and think about what matters most.  The truth is, when we stand before God one day we will never hear Him say, "I so wish you had worked more hours and gotten more stuff."

Then we see that Mary is here.  She represents the humble worshipper.  She is the one who knows who she is but most importantly recognizes the beauty and glory of Christ.  She knows that the very best she has should be given to the King.  Mary doesn't really care what others think - she just pours out her worship on Jesus.  In church, these are often the folks that you just see the Holy Spirit flowing out of.  These are the folks who have walked through valleys and struggles and emerged on the other side victorious.  They realize that the only way it could have happened was by and through His grace.  Those like Mary don't have to be seen or heard and they certainly never want recognition.

And finally, we have Judas.  Sadly, he is the one who makes the most noise here.  He complains about Mary's worship.  Judas tries to sound like he truly cares about things yet on the inside something far different is going on.  John even calls him a "thief."  Judas is all about himself and his purposes and clothes all of it in religious talk.  He could care less about anyone else there.  Judas is the type of person who can seem to be concerned but only so far as it benefits him.  This is the heartbreaking reality of many churches today.  Jesus spoke of those who worshipped with their lips but their hearts were "far from Him."

Four different types of people, all sitting around Jesus.  Like I said earlier, not unlike church every Sunday.  A group of "sinners at the supper table."  My question for you is which one do you identify with?  If you are a "former" (which we all are!) rejoice in the victory you have been given in Christ.  never forget where you have been delivered from.  Maybe you are a workaholic and you simply need to slow down and sit at the feet of Jesus.  Or you could be like Judas and need to ask yourself do I really have a relationship with Christ?  We read in verse 3 that the house was filled with the fragrance of Mary's worship.  Let's have that as our goal.  Jesus deserves the best we have to give.