The First Dinner: Risking Rejection

Sermon Summary: This Palm Sunday sermon explores the profound act of Mary anointing Jesus' feet just days before his crucifixion. Through the lens of Mary's extravagant gift, the pastor examines what it means to "let go" of fear, judgment, and calculation to offer our best to Christ. The sermon traces Jesus' journey from Bethany to the cross, emphasizing how Mary's anointing prepared him for death. Drawing on the concept of mindfulness and spontaneous generosity, the message challenges listeners to give freely without overthinking or seeking approval. The pastor illustrates this through contemporary examples of sacrificial giving, including a church dinner ministry and a mission to Mexican orphanages, demonstrating that true generosity flows from hearts that simply "let go" and give what they have to Jesus and those in need.

Key Points:

- Mary anointed Jesus' feet with expensive nard just days before his crucifixion, an act of prophetic preparation for his death

- True generosity requires "letting go" of fear, judgment, planning, and the need for approval

- Mary's act was intimate, extravagant, and misunderstood by others including Judas who called it wasteful

- Jesus' statement "the poor you always have with you" is not permission to ignore the poor, but an invitation to make them family

- Extravagant giving opens doors to ministry and relationship that calculated giving never can

- We are called to be like Mary, giving the best we have without counting the cost

- Generosity is demonstrated in ongoing commitment, not just one-time acts

- The question each believer must answer: "What would you give to Jesus?"

Scripture Reference:

- Psalm 23 (opening reading)

- The account of Mary anointing Jesus at Bethany (John 12, referenced throughout)

- Deuteronomy passages about keeping an open hand to the poor

Stories:

- The biblical narrative of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead and Mary's subsequent anointing of Jesus' feet at dinner

- Jesus' journey from Bethany through the Kidron Valley into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday

- The pastor's experience supporting two ladies who wanted to start a weekly dinner for the poor, which grew to serve hundreds despite critics

- A contemporary example of a group making spaghetti dinners to raise funds for a Mexican orphanage they visit regularly

- The poem "Let It Go" by Sapphire Rose, illustrating the freedom of releasing control and simply giving

- Personal reflection on caregiving for an invalid son and seeking mindful moments to do the right thing