1 "JESUS therefore six days before the Passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus raised from the dead. So they made Him a supper there; and Martha served; but Lazarus was one of them that sat at meat with Him. 2 Mary therefore took a pound of ointment of spikenard, very precious, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment. But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, which should betray Him, saith, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? Now this he said, not because he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and having the bag took away what was put therein. 3 Jesus therefore said, Suffer her to keep it against the day of My burying. For the poor ye have always with you; but Me ye have not always.
4 "The common people therefore of the Jews learned that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom He had raised from the dead. But the chief priests took counsel that they might put Lazarus also to death; because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus."
Golden Text: "She hath done what she could." Mark 14:8.
SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.
(1) After the resurrection of Lazarus, when did Jesus again come to Bethany? V. 1. Note 1. (2) What honor was shown Him there? What two persons are mentioned as being at the supper? What was the position of each of these persons? V. 2. Note 2. (3) During the supper what did Mary do? What was the outward effect of the act? V. 3. Note 3. (4) Which of the disciples first spoke of the act? V. 4. (5) What did he say? V. 5. Note 4. (6) Why did he speak in this manner? V. 6. (7) How did Jesus reply to the criticism of Judas? V. 7. Note 5. (8) What did Jesus say about the poor? V. 8. Note 6. (9) Why did many people come to Bethany on that occasion? V. 9. Note 7. (10) What action did the chief priests take? V. 10. (11) Why did they show such vindictiveness? V. 11. Note 8.
NOTES.
1. Again at Bethany.—The raising of Lazarus from the dead, as described in the last lesson, caused so much excitement around Jerusalem, and aroused such hostility to Jesus on the part of the priests, that He and His disciples went away for a time to the retired mountain village of Ephraim. As the Passover drew nigh, Jesus went across the Jordan and down through Perea to the fords opposite Jericho. Thence He went up toward Jerusalem, stopping at Bethany.
2. "They made Him a supper."—In the little town of Bethany the name of Jesus had become a household word after the resurrection of Lazarus. This great work, in addition to His having healed the leprosy of Simon, and other noted miracles, gave Him great prestige among the people. Hence the honor of a supper.
3. The ointment.—"By the ointment we are to understand rather a liquid perfume than what we commonly call ointment."—Schaff. "Ointment of spikenard is literally ointment of pistic nard, 'pistic' meaning either 'genuine' or 'liquid.' It was pure nard, like attar of roses, unadulterated, in full strength. Its costliness made it peculiarly liable to adulteration. Spikenard (spiked-nard) is a plant closely allied to valerian, and now found in the Himalayan region. The odor is described as resembling that of a mixture of valerian and patchouli."—Century Dictionary.
4. The complaint.—Jealousy always breaks forth in complaint against some good deed. The jealous mind is always playing detective, hoping to make a good record and gain high favor through showing up the faults of others. This exercise of mind brings one to that condition of bias which renders him unable to see any good excepting in those who sympathize with him. While Judas was avaricious, and jealous on account of the money which he had failed to secure, he soon gained the sympathy of other apostles who were jealous of the favor of the Master (Mark 9:33, 34; Luke 9:46; 22:24), which might be gained through Mary's sacrifice in His honor. Hence they were all ready to find fault with her action, and to detract from its merit.
5. "Against the day of My burying."—No one objects to costly services for the dead; that was especially common in those days. While the prophets were alive they were persecuted, but after their death the people built costly tombs for them. See Matt. 23:29-32; Acts 7:52. Jesus, knowing that His death was near, said that they could deem this anointing as done for His burial. This would be a barrier to their criticism, from the standpoint of custom, altho it were far better to honor a prophet while alive and in need of sympathy in His work.
6. "The poor ye have always with you."—The Lord has always deemed the poor a necessity to His people, that they might have opportunity to exercise benevolence. It was a providential arrangement that "the poor shall never cease out of the land;" and because of this the Lord had said, "Therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land." Deut. 15:11. "The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich; He bringeth low, and lifteth up." 1 Sam. 2:7. Neither would the poor suffer loss by Mary's imbibing the Spirit of Christ, whose greatest care was for the poor, even to making the ministration to their needs a qualification for an inheritance in His kingdom. See Matt. 25:31-46.
7. Curiosity.—Many people followed Jesus out of mere curiosity to see some wonderful work. Thus their great privileges and opportunities were thrown away. Even Herod was "exceeding glad" to see Him, "for he had hoped to have seen some miracle done by Him." But when Jesus would not stoop to gratify the proud man's curiosity, his opportunity was turned into an occasion of mockery and abuse. On the occasion at Bethany there was the double incentive to the crowd—to see Jesus, and to see Lazarus, who had been raised from the dead.
8. Vindictiveness of the priests.—To such an extent had the jealousy of the priests been aroused against the growing influence of Jesus, that they were determined to have vengeance even upon Lazarus, the innocent tho conspicuous evidence of the power which the object of their hatred was able to wield. They, like many prototypes in all ages, and even now, had determined to close their eyes to all evidence that Jesus of Nazareth was the only means by which they could gain eternal life and access to the kingdom of God.
