Christian Art | Mary Anoints Jesus At Bethany
The Gospel Of Saint John – Chapter 12 | Audio King James Version Bible | KJV
1 THEN Jesus six days before the Passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.
2 There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.
3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.
4 Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him,
5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?
6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.
7 Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.
8 For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.
9 Much people of the Jews therefore knew 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.
10 ¶ But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death;
11 Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.
We have entered into Holy Week. In this reading of the Bible, Jesus prepares for his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. For now he has had to hide himself from the Jewish authorities. His preaching and miracles over the course of the previous eleven books of John (the Book of the Signs) has increasingly aroused the hatred of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish council, and they are determined to kill him. Jesus has retreated to the home of friends. Despite the danger, Martha, Mary and Lazarus wish to show him their friendship and hospitality. They share a meal. The love they show to Jesus is in marked contrast with the hatred of the scribes and the Pharisees and the betrayal by Judas.
As we have heard in our Palm Sunday reading, Mary anoints Jesus. In John’s account, she anoints Jesus’ feet and wipes them with her hair. This is a sign of great love and humility, which Jesus will offer to his followers in John’s account of the Last Supper. The ointment she uses is very precious, costing a year’s wages for a labouring man, and the whole house is filled with the beautiful scent.
We learn in these verses of John’s Gospel that Judas is a thief and a hypocrite prior to his ultimate betrayal of Jesus. He objects to using the ointment to anoint Jesus, when it could have been sold and given to the poor. This is outright hypocrisy. He does not care for Jesus. Rather, Judas is the person in charge of Jesus’ and the disciples’ money and he has stolen from the communal funds. Satan has long since entered into Judas’ heart.
Jesus replies by recognising Mary’s love and also by anticipating the Easter events of the passion, crucifixion, death and resurrection. It will be, he says, for Mary to show tenderness for our Lord’s crucified body by anointing him. He adds: ‘For the poor always ye have with you.’
This in no wise means that Jesus does not care for the poor. Rather he is quoting a verse from Deuteronomy (15: 11), with which all the people present and of Bible times would have been familiar. The verse reads: ‘For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.’ Jesus is, in fact, teaching us always to show mercy, love and charity to the poor.
The crowd now hear where Jesus is and flock to see him and also Lazarus, whom Jesus has raised from the dead. Perhaps they came through an initial spark of faith, perhaps more through superficial curiosity and short-lived enthusiasm.
Such is the perverse and self-seeking thinking of the chief priests, that now Lazarus is also in danger, because he serves as a living testimony to Jesus the Son of God.
‘What a shining piece of magnanimity is this “extravagance” on Mary’s part! Judas, on the other hand, laments this “waste” of so valuable a perfume; in his greed he had been calculating the price: it would have fetched at least “three hundred silver pieces”.
‘True detachment leads us to be very generous with God and with our fellow-men… Don’t be mean and grudging with people who, without counting the cost, have given of their all, everything they have, for your sake. Just ask yourselves, how much does it cost you – in financial terms as well – to be Christians? Above all, don’t forget that “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).’ St Josemaria Escriva
Gospel Reading: Matthew 25:35-36 (KJV) ‘For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: Naked, and ye clothed me not: I was sick, and ye visited me not: I was in prison, and ye came unto me not.’ Reflection on the Gospel In these verses, Jesus speaks about compassion and how our actions towards others reflect our love for Jesus. Jesus teaches us that by caring for those in need, we are also caring for Jesus. This passage challenges us to look beyond ourselves and extend kindness and mercy to those around us. Prayer Heavenly Father, I come to you asking for a heart filled with compassion. Help me to see others through your eyes, to feel their pain, and to be moved to action. Teach me to love and care for those who are suffering, just as Jesus did. Let my actions reflect your love and bring comfort to those in need. Thank you for your endless compassion and grace. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Personal Reflection I think about a time when I was in need and someone showed me compassion. How did it make me feel? Now, I consider a time when I had the opportunity to help someone else. How did my actions impact them? Compassion is more than just feeling sympathy for others; it is about taking action to alleviate their suffering. By practicing compassion, I bring God’s love into the world. Meditation On The Prayer And Gospel Compassion begins with recognizing the humanity in others and responding with love and kindness. Jesus’ words in Matthew 25:35-36 remind me that my treatment of others is a reflection of my relationship with Jesus. This is not only a call to action but an invitation to embody God’s love in my daily life. As I meditate on this prayer, I remember the story of the Good Samaritan. Despite being a stranger, the Samaritan showed great compassion to a wounded traveler, demonstrating the kind of love Jesus calls me to show. This story illustrates that true compassion knows no boundaries and is driven by love. I think about those in my community who are in need. I visualize their faces and hold them in my thoughts. I imagine Jesus standing with me, encouraging me to extend compassion and kindness. I feel the warmth of Jesus’ love as I commit to making a difference in their lives. Compassion is not just about grand gestures but also about small acts of kindness that can transform someone’s day. It involves listening, understanding, and being present for others. As I practice compassion, I become a vessel of God’s grace, reflecting Jesus’ love to those around me. Prayer Lord Jesus, thank you for your example of compassion. Help me to follow your footsteps and show love to those in need. Grant me the strength and courage to act with kindness and mercy. Fill my heart with empathy and understanding, and let your love be evident in all that I do. Amen. Scripture Reading: Colossians 3:12 (KJV) ‘Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;’ Blessing May the compassion of God fill my heart and guide my actions. May His grace empower me to show love and kindness to those in need. Go forth in His love, extending mercy and compassion to all you meet. Amen.
The Sadducees are explicitly held up for criticism in the Gospels less often than the Pharisees, even though they provided the elite which ran the Temple. This is partly because, with the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in AD 70, the Sadducees were wiped out as a force in Jewish religious life and politics. The Judaism which survived, to regroup and forge a new identity, was that of the Pharisees. Consequently, when there were rivalries between Jews and Christians, it was the Pharisees with whom Christians would find themselves in conflict, and this would colour the memory of earlier times [ … ]
The poem is an address to the Holy Spirit, symbolized as fire or a spark, exploring themes of divine transformation, purification, and ultimate union with God. Herbert opens with an acknowledgment of the Spirit’s divinity, emanating from the presence of the Saviour’s face. The Spirit is seen as belonging naturally to this celestial realm, yet the poet invites the Spirit to ‘take a bad lodging’ in his heart, reflecting humility and recognition of his own imperfections [ … ]
