John 12:1-11, 20-26: Paradox of Death and Glory

Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.

Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.

Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. - John 12:1-11, 20-26

Here Jesus introduces the genius of God in an unexpected way. Throughout the entire Old Testament, God's glory was associated with his overwhelming presence and his victories.  "The Lord our God has shown us his glory and his majesty, and we have heard his voice from the fire" (Deut. 5:24) or "I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory." (Psalm 63:2) Usually glory is associated with shining brightly.

But Jesus' glory is something different: he must die. He was arrested at night. When he went to the cross it says that darkness covered the land. The seed, he said, must fall to the ground and die.

I think this is another example of the descent into greatness-the means by which God spends the lives of his servants in imitation of Jesus for his purposes and his genius in knowing how to orchestrate it into multiplication of life-for us and others. 

But Jesus warns that the holding on to our single life so tightly ends up in our loss and our inability to participate generously in God's plan. So I wonder what I hold on to so tightly so that God can't use it.