Anointed in Bethany

February 28, 2010

Background Scripture: Matthew 26:3 – 16; John 12:1 – 8
Lesson Passage: Matthew 26:3 – 16

Nothing quite portrays the humanity of Jesus like the friendship he had with a family in Bethany. It seems as though his visits to Bethany were prompted by the call of friendship more so than the working of miracles or teaching of the masses. In fact, most of his recorded visits there seem to be for the purpose of removing himself from the masses and enjoying some quiet time with his friends Lazarus, Martha, and Mary. Bethany was situated about two miles from Jerusalem on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives. It was said to be the last station on the Jericho Road prior to reaching Jerusalem. It was close enough to Jerusalem to be convenient and yet far enough to provide some seclusion if one needed a break. The week before his passion, it appears that Jesus made at least two stops in Bethany. On Palm Sunday he started out in Bethany and went to the temple in Jerusalem and cast out the money-changers and declared the temple to be the house of prayer. He then healed the blind and the lame that were in the temple and was afterwards confronted by the chief priests and the scribes. He left them and returned to Bethany and lodged there. Bethany is the setting of today’s lesson and it would be the last time Jesus would visit the village prior to his crucifixion. As one pieces together the setting as described by Matthew, Mark, and John, Jesus was an invited guest in the home of Simon the leper. John’s account would lead one to believe that Judas Iscariot was the son of the homeowner, Simon the leper. As they sat at the supper, Mary anointed Jesus with some very expensive ointment. This act was enough to cause indignation in the disciples—especially Judas Iscariot who seemed to be more concerned about the value of the ointment than the reason for the act. Jesus knew the real meaning of the act was an act of worship and preparation for his death. Jesus rebuked the disciples for their attitude towards Mary and then commended her for her actions. He went a step further and declared that this act was to be an integral part of the message embodied in the worldwide preaching of the gospel. Mary memorialized Jesus through her actions and Jesus in turn memorialized Mary in declaring that her act was to be told throughout the world as a memorial to her. The scriptures present Mary as a worshiper of the Lord. While her sister, Martha, is presented as a diligent worker with a servant’s disposition, Mary was to be found at the Master’s feet worshiping him. It is fitting that while even the disciples are behaving as though they are at just another dinner with their teacher, Mary had received a revelation of the deeper meaning of the time at hand. Her Master would not be there always and she was determined to do as much as she could and sacrifice, in spite of cost, what she could to show reverence for her Lord. Judas Iscariot’s estimation of the value of the ointment was about a year’s wages for a common laborer. For a thief, that amount of money would have been seen as a lost opportunity. For Mary, Jesus was worth it, and because of Mary’s anointing of him, this provided yet another testimony to Jesus as Messiah.

Robert C. Hudson
February 22, 2010