Sermon for Monday in Holy Week
What mean ye by this service?
The beginning of the Passion according to St. Mark, read on Monday in Holy Week, offers a sequence of rituals which revolve around the opening statement that “after two days was the feast of the Passover, and of unleavened bread.”
Mark’s account of the Passion includes the breaking open of “the alabaster box of ointment of spikenard” and the anointing of the head of Christ with the precious oil. It includes Judas’ plan to betray Christ to the chief priests for money; the preparation for the celebration of the Passover by the disciples; the amazing statements at the ritual meal of the Passover by Jesus himself; the prophecy of Peter’s betrayal of Jesus; the singing of an hymn and proceeding to Gethsemane to pray; the betrayal of Jesus by the kiss of Judas; the trial and mockery of Jesus. The beginning of the passion concludes with Peter’s denial and his conviction of conscience when the cock crew twice. For then “Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him … and when he thought thereon he wept.”
It is quite a sequence. It reveals our hearts of treachery and betrayal, our hearts of love and devotion, as well as our divided and sleepy hearts. It is not exactly a pretty picture of ourselves and our humanity.
“What mean ye by this service?” This is the question of the Passover. The opening scene of this beginning of Mark’s account of the Passion is most intriguing and important. The unnamed woman does an extravagant thing. She breaks open an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard and she anoints Jesus’ head. What does it mean?
