The Value of Things

John 12: 1-8

It’s strange how the value of things is determined. I had a realtor friend tell me that a house is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it. As I was preparing my will, I was asked about coins, jewelry, or guns. I have a shotgun that is old but not an antique. It’s not really worth that much in monetary terms. However, I still need to decide which one of my nieces will receive it. It belonged to my dad, their grandfather, and it was a gift to him from my grandfather—my mom’s dad. It’s an example of how something’s value or worth can go beyond monetary valuation. What someone is willing to pay for something is shaped by emotions, sentimental attachment, personal values, and personal preferences.

Because of these non-financial determinants of value, it can be easy for us to look at what others spend their resources on and begin to judge. Who gets to decide what is foolish or extravagant spending? Is it ridiculous to spend a small fortune on fishing gear? Is it extravagant to book a trip to the other side of the world? Is it silly to go to Vegas to see your favorite band? How much we are willing to pay depends on what we value.

In today’s reading for the Monday of Holy Week, the cost, or value, of a jar of perfume takes center stage. Jesus is dining with his friends Lazarus (yes, the one who had died), Mary, and Martha. After dinner, Mary takes a pound of expensive perfume and pours it on Jesus’ feet, then wipes them with her hair. The Gospel of John describes this act as an anointing that symbolizes divine selection or being set apart. It also foreshadows Jesus’ death, as nard was one aromatic used in preparing bodies for burial. Nard was also used to calm anxiety. We don’t know exactly what prompted this act by Mary except extravagant love. Maybe she was preparing Jesus for his own death. Or maybe she was trying to offer calm and comfort in a time of stress. Whatever the reason, the underlying motivation was extravagant love.

Why would Mary use something so expensive? Wasn’t there a better use for something so valuable? It was an extravagant, even foolish, act—and that was the point. Mary offered to Jesus everything without holding anything back. It was an act of lavish love, the closest thing she could give in response to the kind of love Jesus offered her and continues to offer us. Love is risky. Love is costly. Yet it is what Jesus commands us to do, regardless of the cost. Mary willingly offers this extravagant act because of her love for and devotion to Jesus.

As we begin this Holy Week that will lead to the cross on Friday, remember that the world does not value the same things as we do as disciples of Christ. The world may not understand what we sacrifice to follow Christ—our resources, our grudges, our comfort, and, probably the toughest of all, our ego. Extravagant love requires the sacrifice of something valuable. If it’s not that valuable, it’s not much of a sacrifice. How are we showing extravagant, costly love to a world in need of hope?

By the end of this week, we will stand at the foot of the cross—the ultimate picture of extravagant love. There, Jesus does not give a portion or a token offering; he gives everything. Not because it makes sense by the world’s standards, but because love does not calculate value the way we do. So perhaps the question for us this Holy Week is not whether something is worth it, but whether our love reflects the kind of love Christ has shown us. A love that pours itself out freely. A love that holds nothing back. A love that, to the world, may look foolish—but in God’s kingdom, is of immeasurable worth.

Rev. Dana Ezell