Last week a spider decided to make a web on the corner of our balcony. A perfect well designed web. I could see how strong and resistant it was because the wind tried to pull it down.
Eventually, the wind won and most of her web was gone.
However, through the night, she patiently worked and worked, and in the morning, a new strong web was in place. It has been there for a few days now.
She made me think. It is not uncommon for spiders to accept changes and rebuilt their home, their little universe. Nature and life interfere, then patiently, she has to rebuild it. With one first jump, she goes across from one wall to another and that first jump, to the empty space will give her the first web that will design her future world.
She knows the power of leaving behind the old and preparing herself for the new world. New time. New season.
In today’s Old Testament, the prophet tells the faithful, “Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old.”
It is an interesting statement since most of the Jewish faith is based on remembrance of the great acts of God in the past. However, this new orientation is given because of the following biblical verse, where God says: “I am about to do a new thing.” And even though it is terrifying now, it will change your sorrow to joy. It will deepen our relationship, and you will never experience the desert again, because in this new order, rivers will flow in the desert, and I will give living water to those who love me.
The language of Old and New Order, appears again in the Gospel.
“If you can have dinner with anyone living or dead, who would you choose?”
This weekend I saw this lovely video on YouTube where a dozen couples were interviewed for a social experiment. The interviewer asked the following question: “If you can have dinner with anyone living or dead who would you choose?”
The couples laughed and answered: Kylie Minogue, Marilyn Monroe, Paul Hogen (Crocodile Dundee), Kim Kardashian, Justin Bieber, Jimi Hendrix, Nelson Mandela.
After answering with a good laugh. They were invited to watch another video. Watching their kids answer the same question they have just answered. “If you can have dinner with anyone living or dead, who would you choose?”
The parents were amazed with the answers. Most children said: I would choose my family. Some said: I would choose “my mom”, or “dad”. Some answered saying: “Does it need to be some celebrity or can I have my extended family?”
The Gospel today is the last story before the beginning of Holy Week. And its intention is to call our attention to what is happening the week before the Passion and death of Jesus.
The story begins establishing two important elements: friends and a meal. “Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, ... There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus' feet…” That’s the environment where the story today happens.
Theologians say that today’s story is one of the most beautiful biblical scenes. A meal is prepared among close friends to celebrate Jesus’ ministry. Martha is preparing the dinner. Lazarus, his beloved friend, brought from the dead is next to him, while the other good friend, Mary, is washing his feet with the most extravagant perfume.
The perfume, Nard, in this narrative, represents the preparation for what is to come. The passion and death of Jesus Christ must happen so the “old order” will be destroyed. And through the resurrection of Jesus a “new order” will begin.
But at the same table, also we see people who have a different point-of-view of what is going on here. Judas Iscariot is the one who verbalizes his opinion against what Mary is doing. In his narrow way of seeing the world, he doesn’t let space for the Grace of God, or the grace that flows from the woman who is touching Jesus’ feet. Judas in this story represents the “old order”. There is a reason why through the centuries Judas is despised by followers of Jesus. Even though Judas walked with Christ, he never fully accepted Jesus’ preaching.
This story has so many layers and so much powerful symbols. I can’t explore it all in one sermon. That said, I want to focus on just one topic that catches my attention. The symbolism of the table.
In the church, every time we say “the table” what image comes to our minds? Or which table comes to our mind? (You probably will say the same, the Eucharistic table). The symbol of a common table has been the topic of many sermons and is a central piece for every Sunday’s worship. We have this romantic idea that the symbol by itself justifies all things. But is not the table that makes the experience sacred, but the people who sit at the table and share the meal and their stories are the ones that make that moment holy or not.
At the table with Jesus are people who agree with his words and his ideology, but also people who disagree with the Good News of the Kingdom. The new order proposed by Jesus.
The Eucharistic table is like that, a place for hope. At this table people who have different opinions can come together and focus on the person of Jesus Christ. The common ground is the heart where the Good News of Christ is pulsing. It’s possible, to think differently and to do things differently and eat of the same bread and drink from the same cup.
The lesson for me is that from time to time we will realize we are at the table with people who think and acts differently than us. And that’s okay. It is not about agreeing on everything but is about looking together in the same direction, with love and compassion.
It makes me think again of the little spider from the beginning of this meditation. The spider has inside of her all the necessary webs to build new worlds, again and again.
And just like that the spider, we have inside of us, all the words to build or to destroy relationships. It is up to us decide how our words will be used with those around us, at church, at home, at work, or at school.
"Hear, oh Israel. I am your God, and I am about to make all things new." Deuteronomy 6:4
Amen.
Credits:
Created with an image by Dasha Petrenko - "View of mountain oasis Chebika, Sahara desert, Tunisia, Africa"