On Line Bible Study - For the Week July 30 - August 5, 2012

Lesson 547
John 12:  Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. ² Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. ³ Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair.  And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
⁴ But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, ⁵ “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.”  ⁶ He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.
⁷ “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.  ⁸ You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

We are heading into some of the most complex and important material in the Christian Testament.  The story above is contained in some form in each of the four gospels.  There is some debate as to whether there was one or two anointings of Jesus.

In the story as told in Luke's Gospel, the anointing leads to a lesson with regard to forgiveness.  In Mark, Matthew and John, the point is preparation for Jesus' burial.

In each of the tellings - and I believe we mentioned this when looking at this story in the Synoptics (Mark, Matthew and Luke) - with regard to people being upset over the waste of expensive ointment, we read the following:

1. Mark tells us "some were indignant".
2. Matthew tells us "the disciples were indignant".
3. Luke tells us the Pharisee who was hosting the meal questioned Jesus' integrity.
4. John tells us it was Judas who questioned the waste - and we are told Judas had no particular compassion for the poor.  In actuality he was a thief.

This is one way of explaining the mystery of how it could be that one of Jesus' own disciples would betray him.  The sense here is that Judas was morally corrupt from the beginning.
In John, Jesus presents the same rationale we find in Mark and Matthew - that the poor will always be present.  Not so Christ.  The day would come when it was no longer possible to provide him with physical comfort.

Mark and Matthew tell us Jesus was anointed after he had entered Jerusalem.  Luke and John tell us the anointing took place prior to Jesus' entrance - Luke places the story well in advance of Jesus entering Jerusalem.  In John's Gospel, Jesus enters Jerusalem on the day following this anointing.

The difference in details from one gospel to the next is not insignificant, and we assume each evangelist had reasons for telling the story as they did.  The anointing of Jesus 'for his burial' is prophetic, says Raymond Brown.  As relevant as the teachings of Jesus are, his most important work was yet to be done.