Why is it that living on the extreme is celebrated these days? Extreme sports are very popular. Its seen as virtuous to show off your extreme wealth or fancy home or on social media. Or buy a luxury car costing millions of rands, to impress others. The more sexual partners you have, the more you are respected by the world.

Extremes are celebrated in everything except one’s faith in Christ. If you’re too much into the God-stuff, rather keep it to yourself, or tone it down. Not seen as a good thing. Don’t want to be some religious fanatic or anything like that! This is why much of the Christianity around us tends to be of the socially acceptable variety, watered-down “cultural Christianity”: Live a good, moral life, be a nice person. Not be too extreme or rock the boat with your beliefs – just be moderate. Admire Jesus to a point – he’s my spiritual friend, loves me unconditionally, but ignore those “offensive” things he said and those pesky demands he places upon my life. Appreciate the Bible to an extent – like the inspirational verses like “his plans to prosper and not harm me”, but ignore the tough stuff in there that doesn’t sit well with the culture.

This shying away from extremes when it comes to our faith is nothing new. In fact, we see precisely this in our text this evening. We read of the woman who displays her love for Jesus in a lavish and extravagant way – pouring very expensive perfume over him. Jesus loves what she does. Such an important event for Jesus, that it’s told in all four Gospels. But it causes great offence with many who witnessed it, leading his own disciple, Judas to betray him.

What we’re going to see is that because Jesus is the Son of God – a watered down response to him is inappropriate. The only appropriate response to him is to love him with your everything.

Preacher: Rev. Antonio Coppola