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Part 12 of the Series:
“search the scriptures” John 5:39
Just over a mile east of Jerusalem is Bethany, on the road to Jericho.1 Today, according to secular sources, the town is ‘locally called in Arabic Al-Eizariya or al-Aizariya … The name al-Eizariya refers to the New Testament figure Lazarus of Bethany’.2 As per its modern name, we would associate Bethany with the Lord’s miracle in raising Lazarus who had ‘been dead four days’, John 11. 39. But also, it was a place where there were those dear to the Lord, ‘Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus’, 11. 5, and, near to Jerusalem. We read of the Lord Jesus spending time there shortly before He would go to the cross. It is lovely to consider that there was a place where the Lord was honoured by those that loved Him ahead of the extent of rejection that would follow. As believers in the Lord Jesus today, it is a privilege to seek to honour and obey the Lord in a world that largely rejects Him.
Matthew also records the Lord Jesus lodging in Bethany after leaving the city of Jerusalem, Matt. 21. 17, then in the house of Simon the leper, 26. 6; Mark 14. 3. This is when there ‘came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat’, Matt. 26. 7. Scholars are divided on if this is the same occasion as Mary’s anointing recorded in John chapter 12, but nonetheless, we can enjoy the lessons from each of the accounts concerning devotion to the Lord Jesus.
There are several scenes at Bethany focussing on Mary and her place at the feet of the Lord Jesus, which we will use for our study:
Luke chapter 10 is at the beginning of the section in the Gospel that covers the progression of the Lord Jesus toward Jerusalem, ultimately with the cross in view, ‘he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem’, Luke 9. 51. Immediately before Bethany the Lord answers a lawyer’s questions by speaking of the helpless man in need and the good Samaritan’s selfless care, who ‘saw him … [and] had compassion on him’, 10. 33. The background is the Lord’s movement towards the cross and His heart of compassion in meeting the needs of so many people, including Mary and Martha. The scene in Bethany commences, ‘Martha received him into her house’, v. 38. She should be commended for receiving Christ, but her exercise for service was spoiled by a wrong spirit towards Mary and accusation towards the Lord: ‘dost thou not care?’ v. 40. With loving tenderness, and His omniscient knowledge of Martha’s heart, the Lord gently rebukes her, ‘Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled’, v. 41, she was too anxious and agitated; as believers, we should ‘be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God’, Phil. 4. 6.
The Lord Jesus explained to Martha that Mary had ‘chosen that good part’, v. 42, she had made a decision to sit at the Lord’s feet and hear His word. This is a decision that we, as believers in the Lord Jesus, all need to make every day; may we, with the Lord’s help, decide to devote more time to Him and His word. There is lasting value in learning of the Lord Jesus; He said of Mary that the good part she chose ‘shall not be taken away from her’, v. 42.
John chapter 11 is mostly taken up with the Lord Jesus miraculously raising Lazarus from death. When the Lord Jesus returned, Martha went to meet with Him, but ‘Mary sat still in the house’, v. 20, perhaps an indication of how the two sisters responded differently in their grief. It is interesting to note the Lord’s approach to Martha and Mary; with Martha He listened and with Mary He wept. He appreciated the different ways in which people handle grief and ministered appropriately. We would do well to follow our Lord’s example in learning to help sensitively brothers and sisters in need.
After the Lord’s meeting with Martha and His wonderful declaration of truth, ‘I am the resurrection, and the life’, v. 25, via Martha, He sends a secret and personal invitation to Mary to draw near, ‘The Master is come, and calleth for thee’, v. 28. This call was reserved for Mary - she would know about His nearness and His desire to see her; other worldly comforters were to be kept at a distance and here we have a close, personal meeting of a believer with the Lord. Only His people can enjoy such a place.
Mary did not delay and ‘came unto him’, v. 29, ‘saw him’, v. 32, and ‘fell down at his feet’, v. 32; there is an order to these things which express Mary’s great need before her Lord. Importantly, Mary brought her tears to the Lord, v. 33; it is possible for us as the people of God, to seek the help of others in our grief and disappointment, but might we follow Mary’s example and come unto Him, see Him and bring our tears to Him.
The response of the Lord Jesus is notable; He does not communicate Divine truth, as He did to Martha, v. 25; perhaps Mary already had a grasp of these things. But instead, ‘he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled’, v. 33, and ‘Jesus wept’, v. 35. We see something of the humanity of Christ in these verses, as One that was troubled by death - the effect of sin - yet sympathizing so fully with the experience of His own. But also, we see, in the resurrection miracle that followed, the Lord’s deity and ability to meet the need.
We are reminded by this account of the Lord’s present work of intercession for His people, ‘For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities’, Heb. 4. 15. There is a perfect Man in heaven, that understands; He is touched - the idea of the word is that He sympathizes, suffers with, is affected similarly and has compassion. This is all in His high priestly work, representing us and our need before the Father.
‘Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany’, v. 1, now moving even closer to His suffering at the cross. The beginning of the chapter presents a lovely scene of warm communion with the Lord, including the disciples, the raised Lazarus, Mary, and Martha, before the cross. ‘Martha served: but Lazarus … sat at the table with him’, v. 2. In scripture, a table often speaks of fellowship; so here we have Martha’s service for the Lord Jesus and Lazarus enjoying fellowship with Him. But also, ‘Mary … anointed the feet of Jesus’, v. 3, representing worship. The Lord is the object of service, the source of fellowship, and the recipient of worship; so should He be for us - our service or whatever we do should firstly be ‘to the Lord’, Col. 3. 23, and we need to daily seek fellowship with Him and bring our worship to Him.
Focussing on Mary’s worship, we notice firstly that the ‘pound of ointment of spikenard’, v. 3, was ‘very costly’ to her. There is a lesson that worship of our Lord should cost us, not necessarily in terms of money, but certainly in the time that we set aside in personal devotion to Him, gleaning from His word.
Her worship was intelligent. There seemed to be wisdom and an understanding from Mary that went beyond that of the disciples, who did not grasp the Lord’s promises concerning His death, ‘against the day of my [the Lord’s] burying hath she kept this’, v. 7; it is notable that Mary of Bethany did not come to the tomb on resurrection morn with the other women bringing ‘the spices which they had prepared’, Luke 24. 1 - she had already anointed Him! Perhaps Mary’s wise foresight was a result of her previous exercise when she ‘sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word’, Luke 10. 39, leading her to bring suitable worship to the Lord at the right time. She ‘kept’ the spikenard for the Lord; it was not used after the death of Lazarus.
The anointing brought benefit, ‘the house was filled with the odour of the ointment’, v. 3, meaning that all who were in the house benefited from Mary’s act of devotion towards the Lord Jesus. This is the case for the corporate worship of saints in a local assembly, when all believers can appreciate both the silent and audible worship. Whilst the scriptures do not specify, but given that a pound of the spikenard was used, it is most likely that the fragrance would have stayed with both Mary and the Lord Jesus. I love to think of the time leading up to the cross; there was a fragrance to the Lord of Mary’s worship. As the Lord was experiencing betrayal, rejection, injustice, and ultimately sin-bearing, some of that fragrance may have lingered on. As with the Father, John 4. 23, worship from the Lord’s people is precious to Him.
Mary’s worship was criticized, v. 5, but Mary’s devotion is focused on the Lord Jesus and He does not accept the criticism by Judas. There will often be others that will be critical, but nothing should prevent us from an attitude and heart of devotion to the Lord.
Bagster’s Bible Handbook, Fleming H. Revell Company, pg. 141.
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