Message: Fragrance of Love / John 12:1-8

Have you ever smelled something and, all of a sudden, it reminded you of a special memory? Maybe it was the smell of cookies baking, and it made you think of your grandmother’s kitchen. Or maybe the smell of grass after it was cut reminded you of summertime when you played outside as a child. Or perhaps the smell of fresh coffee made you feel calm, like a slow and peaceful morning.

Smell is powerful. It does not just enter our nose; it reaches into our heart. This happens because, unlike our other senses, smells go directly to the part of the brain that stores emotions and important memories. In this way, a scent can take us back to moments we have experienced before. This is known as the Proust Phenomenon.

The term comes from the French writer Marcel Proust and his novel In Search of Lost Time. In one scene, the main character, Marcel, dips a small madeleine cookie into warm tea and takes a bite. At that moment, a vivid memory of his childhood at his grandmother’s house suddenly returns. He was not trying to remember the past or forcing himself to think about it. It was simply the smell and taste of the madeleine that brought those memories back to life.

In today’s Gospel story, we witness a moment like that. It is a moment when a fragrance becomes a memory. As Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, he stopped in the village of Bethany to visit his close friends: Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. It was six days before Passover, which meant that Jesus would soon face the cross. But at that point, only Jesus knew what was coming. Everyone else was simply enjoying the dinner.

Then, in the middle of the evening, Mary did something unforgettable. She took a jar of expensive perfume and poured it on Jesus’ feet. Then she wiped his feet with her hair. This perfume was not cheap. It was made from pure nard, imported from far away. John writes, “The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” 

Everyone there would have smelled it. It would have stayed with them in their clothes, in their hair, and in their memories. Even after that day, even after Jesus had died and risen again, the scent of nard would bring the disciples back to that moment when love filled the room.

Meanwhile, not everyone was happy with what Mary did. Judas, one of Jesus’ disciples, said, “Why was not this perfume sold and the money given to the poor?” That was not a terrible question. The jar of perfume was worth about 300 denarii, almost a full year’s wages. In today’s money, it could be worth $50,000 or more. According to Statistics Canada, the average income for Canadians in 2022 was around $55,000. So in that sense, Judas’ words sounded practical, even thoughtful.

But Jesus responded in a surprising way. He said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.” 

Jesus was not saying that the poor did not matter. He was not ignoring the need for justice or compassion. In fact, his whole life showed how much he cared for people who were struggling.

What Jesus meant is that sometimes, his disciples needed to pause and remember why they were following him in the first place. And it was Mary’s action that helped them see that again. Her gift of perfume, a fragrance of love, reminded them that love was always at the heart of Jesus’ mission.

When love is missing, even good intentions can lead to conflict and division. If we serve only to be right or to prove how good we are, we may end up hurting others without realizing it. Without love, we may judge instead of seeking to understand, take sides instead of walking together, and make demands instead of listening.

Mary was the one who brought love back to the centre. She gave what she had. She poured it all out. And in doing so, she filled the house with the fragrance of love. Through her, the disciples were reminded of what true love looked like. Her act became a living sign of what Jesus had been teaching them all along: it is love that gives everything else its meaning.

This story invites us to reflect on the meaning of worship. For some people today, it is easy to think the way Judas did. Why do we spend time in worship when there is so much suffering in the world? Why do we gather every Sunday to sing, to pray, and to read the Bible when there are people outside who need help? Would it not be better to use that time doing something more practical or useful?

But this is exactly why the story of Mary is so important. She reminds us that worship is never a waste. Worship is where love begins. It is not something separate from justice. It gives justice its heart. Worship is where we return to God, where we are filled before we go out to give. Without worship, even good work can become dry, rushed, or focused on ourselves. But when worship comes first, everything flows from grace. Our actions carry not only effort, but also the lasting fragrance of true love.

The early church flourished not only because it cared for the poor, but because it worshipped with memory and joy. People gathered in small homes and remembered the fragrance of Jesus’ presence. They did not worship to escape the world. They worshipped to remain strong within it. They worshipped because that was where they met Jesus Christ again and again.

When Jesus was arrested and taken to the cross just a few days after that evening, the disciples ran away in fear. But perhaps, in the middle of that long and painful night, one of them could still smell the perfume. Perhaps they remembered the woman who gave everything. Perhaps they remembered that evening in Bethany, when the house was filled with the fragrance of love.

May the same be true for us. May our worship be full of memory, beauty, and joy. May it not come from guilt or routine, but from the heart. May our prayers be filled with wonder and love. And may our homes, our churches, and our hearts be filled with the lasting fragrance of love - a love that never fades, a love that sends us to serve, a love that reflects Jesus.

Thanks be to God. Amen.