More Intimacy than One can Handle - The Rev. Philip DeVaul

Sermons from the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer

Intimacy is connection. Knowing one another. Care and vulnerability. And what Mary shows to this man who is not only her teacher, but her friend, and who we were reminded in this story is the one who literally raised her brother up from the dead. She drops to her knees and she pours perfume all over his feet and she takes her hair and wipes it off. And you can imagine how uncomfortable everybody else was in the room. Judas, of course, is the one to say something because of course it's Judas. And John really makes sure to let us know what a dirtbag Judas is as if we didn't already remember, right? We know Judas, hot mess, we get it. But in this moment, we totally, there's something about Judas is like, oh, she, she shouldn't be doing that. You know, that money could have gone to the poor. Right? Which is no different than the kid being like, change the channel, they're kissing. It's the same thing. It's a reaction to intimacy. He has to change the subject because the intimacy on display is more than he can handle.