Something to Make One Think

Our Sunday morning Bible study class is amazing. We have a very good teacher, and those in the class are well versed in the scripture. Our discussions are stimulating and thought provoking.

The topic yesterday was from Mark 14:1-11. The discussion centered around Mary’s selfless act of anointing Jesus with the expensive perfume. The story was better defined in John 12:1-8. Mary poured the pure hard, as it was called, on the feet of Jesus. Then she proceeded to wipe his feet with her long hair. What she did was a wonderful sacrifice, driven by her exceedingly great love for her master. Her demonstration of her love for Jesus went even further than simply giving a dinner in his honor. I’m sure there were many reasons that made her sacrifice so special. Here are a couple.

First, she had witnessed about a week before the raising of her brother, Lazarus, from the dead by Jesus. We must remember how she and her sister, Martha, grieved for their brother Lazarus after his death. How do you repay someone who brings a dearly loved one back from the grave after being dead for four days? Wouldn’t you simply adore the one who could do that? This was one of the points brought out during our discussion.

Secondly, a point was made that Mary having never married could have been saving that very expensive perfume for her dowry just incase some gentleman proposed to her. The worth of the perfume was at least a years wages. I had never heard that before, but it does make sense. Single women at this time did indeed save for such a possibility. If this was the reason she had the perfume we understand even more how great her sacrifice was, and the depth of  her love for Jesus.

Then we talked about Mr. Judas. In this passage we see what a scoundrel he really was. We see just how evil Judas was in the description given by his fellow compatriot John. Judas was greatly disturbed because of what Mary had done. Openly, Judas chastised Mary because he said the perfume could have more reasonably been sold, and the money raised could have been given to the poor. John was not fooled because he knew the heart of Judas. He said, “This was not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief; a keeper of the money bag, and he used to help himself to what was put into it.” In other words Judas was filled with greed. Because of what Mary did he had seen a certain windfall for himself wasted on the feet of Jesus.

Immediately, Jesus said, “Leave her alone!” I think this was a strong rebuke. My thought on this was that Judas had not been fooling anyone, although nothing had been written until this passage about what a rotten stinker Judas was. I think the disciples knew, and I am sure Jesus knew. Isn’t that what we do when we sin? We think no one knows. We may even think that we are pulling the wool over God’s eyes. We continue in our sin, and go our way acting like our motives are pure and good. “Oh, how we care for the poor and hurting.” “Did you hear about Jane? Someone said she was caught shoplifting at Walmart. We must pray for her.” Oh, how we fake our intentions, just like Judas.

I love my Sunday school class. There is always “something to make one think”.