Mt. 26:6 And when Yeshua was Bethany at the house of Simon the Leper,
Mk. 14:3a And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper,,
Jn. 12:2 There they made Him a supper, and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him.
Mt. 26:7 A woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table.
Mk. 14:3b As He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. And she broke the flask and poured it on His head.
Jn. 12:3 Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Yeshua, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.
This is one example of why it is difficult to harmonize the Gospel of John with the Synoptic Gospels. Both Matthew and Mark say that the woman anointed Yeshua’ head with the fragrant oil. John’s Gospel says that Martha anointed Yeshua’s feet with the oil and then wiped them with her hair. There is no easy way of reconciling the difference. Perhaps John was simply wanting to use this so show Martha’s humility.
Mt. 26:8a But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying,
Mk. 14:4a But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said,
Jn. 12:4 Then one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said,
Probably some would ask: why would Yeshua and his disciples be at Simon the Leper’s house? Would this not be taking a chance of becoming defiled if Simon was still defiled per the name after his house? Verse four of John’s Gospel might give us the reason where it identifies who Judas Iscariot is - Simon’s son. Evidently Simon the Leper was the father of Judas Iscariot, and they were stopping by for a short family visit. Yeshua had already healed some lepers, so He evidently has no fear of leprosy.
Mt. 26:8b “To what purpose is this waste?”
Mk. 14:4b “Why was this fragrant oil wasted?”
Mt. 26:9 “For his fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.”
Mk. 14:5 “For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they criticized her sharply.
Jn. 12:5 “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor’‘
Jn. 12:6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was in it.
Mt. 26:10 But when Yeshua was aware of it, He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me.”
Mk. 14:6 But Yeshua said, “Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me.”
Jn. 12:7a Then Yeshua said, “Let her alone.”
Yeshua said we will have the poor with us always, which is a quote from Deut. 15:11. In the New Testament charity is mentioned 28 times and giving alms is mentioned 13 times. Rabbis said that Proverbs 21:3 referred to giving charity as being greater than the greatest sacrifice. The Rabbis laid the greatest stress on the spirit in which the gift was given, as well as the consideration for the feelings of the receiver. Hillel, in giving charity, took in consideration the standard of living to which the recipient had been accustomed before falling on hard times. He even provided one fellow with house and a servant (BT:Kiddushin 67b). The Rabbis estimated that people with means should give 10-20% of their income to charity and under no circumstances should the recipient be put to shame.
Sources: Deut. 15:11; Proverbs 21:3; BT:Kidushine 67b
Mt. 26:12 “For in pouring the fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial.”
Mk. 14:8 “She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial.”
Jn. 12:7b “She has kept this for the day of My burial.”
Mt. 26:13 “Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this Gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”
Mk. 14:9 “Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this Gospel is preached throughout the whole world, what this woman did will also be spoken of as a memorial to her.”
In a society where women were considered second-class citizens, Mary has comprehended something spiritually that no one else has. Mary’s actions give her a place of honor above everyone else that do memorialize her down through the ages. The amount of fragrant oil represented a year’s wages for most people, so this is not a sudden move on Mary’s part. The realization of His coming death must have been on her mind for a long time.
No comments:
Post a Comment