Ep. 88: Anointed at Bethany

CLICK HERE for the corresponding blog post in Yeshua Adored

MATTHEW 26:6-13, MARK 14:3-9, JOHN 12:1-11

But it was not as they had imagined. Quite openly Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived. His stay in Bethany became known and, of those who so came, many went away believing. And how, indeed, could it be otherwise? Thus one of their plans was frustrated and the evil seemed only to grow worse. The Sanhedrin could perhaps not be moved to such flagrant outrage of all Jewish Law, but ‘the Chief Priests,’ who had no such scruples, consulted how they might put Lazarus also to death. Yet, not until his hour had come could man do anything against Christ or his disciples.

Jesus had arrived at Bethany six days before the Passover, that is, on a Friday. The day after was the Sabbath, and ‘they made him a supper.’ It was the special festive meal of the Sabbath in the house of Simon the Leper - not, of course, an actual leper, but one who had been such. Among the guests are Lazarus, Martha and Mary, who had ‘an alabaster jar of spikenard genuine,’ which was very precious.

And now the decisive hour had come. Jesus may have told her, as he had told the disciples, what was before him in Jerusalem at the Feast and she would be far quicker to understand, even as she must have known far better than they how great was the danger from the Sanhedrin. And it is this understanding of the mystery of his death on her part and this preparation of deepest love for it - this mixture of sorrow, faith, and devotion - which made her deed so precious, that, wherever in the future the Gospel would be preached, this also that she had done would be recorded as a memorial of her.

And the more we think of it, the better can we understand, how at that last fellowship meal, when none of the other guests realised - not even his disciples - how near the end was, she would ‘come aforehand to anoint his body for the burying.’ Her faith made it a twofold anointing; that of the best guest at the last feast and that of preparation for that burial which, of all others, she understood as being so terribly near.

This deed of faith and love now cast the features of Judas in gigantic dark outlines against the scene. He knew the nearness of Jesus’ betrayal and hated the more; she knew of the nearness of his precious death and loved the more. It was not that Judas cared for the poor when he simulated anger that such costly ointment had not been sold and the price given to the poor. For he was essentially dishonest and covetousness was the underlying passion of his soul. The money, claimed for the poor, would only have been used by himself. Yet such was his pretence of righteousness, such his influence as ‘a man of prudence’ among the disciples and such their sad weakness, that some of them expressed indignation among themselves and against her who had done the deed of love.

The final words are from Edersheim:

‘There is something inexpressibly sad, yet so patient, gentle and tender in Christ’s ‘let her alone.’ Surely, never could there be waste in ministry of love to him! There is unspeakable pathos in what he says of his death, as if he would still their souls in view of it. That he, who was ever of the poor and with them, who for our sakes became poor, that through His poverty we might be made rich, should have to plead for a last service of love to himself.’

This is an extract from the book, Jesus : Life and Times, available for £10 here (Finalist for Academic Book of the year at 2023 CRT awards)