“You could have sold that perfume to help the poor!” exclaims a young pious disciple. Sounds woke. Sounds right. Judas sounded like many a righteous meme-making reformer. We are supposed to be doing good works right?! Doesn’t God want us to change the world? The Salvation Army went all in a long time ago. Screw church services, let’s sell all we have and give to the poor.  Isn’t that the point? Or do you hate poor people?

Leave this place better than you found it. Make the world a better place. There goes Mary again, wasting perfume just like she wasted time resting in front of Jesus instead of working to serve the guests.

Jesus once again rewards waste! Rather egotistically, He applauds people who sit and listen to Him instead of serving others. While people are starving in Africa He lets this woman spill thousands of dollars of perfume on his feet. 

Maybe Jesus doesn’t know how to run His own religion. We should find someone more effective – Marx? Jefferson? Mother Teresa? Lower taxes and rugged individualism? Single payer health care – which is the more Christian plan. Forget Christ. Which is the better sacrament in the religion of doing good.

“The poor you will always have with you,” Jesus says.

How offensive! He doesn’t care about the poor, racism, sexism, abortion, same sex marriage! Shouldn’t he campaign against those things?

Barabbas. Now there’s as guy I can get behind. Sure, he murdered some people but you got to break some eggs if you want to make a commune.

 
“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.” 

Well great. That’s depressing. A lot of good a dead savior is going to do. You are just going to lie down and take it? Loser. We need a fighter.

Sure enough. He was crucified. Said something about, “it is finished.” And died. Rumor was He rose again even to the shock of his disciples. God dying for sinners and a dead man walking out of a grave should change everything. There should be hope for everyone. But the world is still the same. Evil men get away with murder. My daughter wants a sex change. My dad was just diagnosed with Alzheimers.

What’s Jesus’ death and resurrection supposed to do about that? Even if he did rise again from the dead. He told His people to go make disciples by baptizing and preaching.  Where are the miracles? The new world order? The progress?

Look at all these other losers who gather in Jesus’ church. Drunks, adulterers, beggars, infants, sinners. What sort of army is this? This church is supposed to beat down the gates of Hell? They aren’t trying to take over their government, run for office, or even pass bills to end all the evil in this world. Instead they are far too easily forgiving their enemies – even praying for them. 
He attracts the dumbest people. They rejoice in their sufferings. They welcome questionable people. They still struggle with sin. Hypocrites really. 

At least some of them started churches of their own.  They hired a PR firm and changed Jesus just enough. Some of them have given up on the cross stuff and rightfully are focusing on helping the poor, cleaning up the environment, ending abortion, taking the country back for God. The people love it. They are doing something at least.

“What should I do with this King of the Jews?” Pilate asked.

Crucify Him.

Give us Barabbas. He will grow this church. He will make America great again. He will make a difference.