JOHN Chap. XII. from begin. to Ver. 12. A Supper at Bethany: Jesus his feet anointed.
THe connexion of this story to the preceding Chapter, is plainly made by the Evangelist himself: Compare ver. 55. of Chap. 11. and ver. 1. of this.
Though there were a Proclamation out against Jesus for his life, Chap. 11. 57. yet com∣eth he for Jerusalem, and Lazarus at Bethany is not afraid to entertain him. He may well venture his life for him who had received it from him. It was their Sabbath day at night when he had this Supper, a time that they used to have extraordinary cheer. Mary who had anointed his feet before, Luke 7. 38. doth the like again.
There is a groundless and a strange opinion of some, that the Supper in Matth. 26. 6, 7. and Mark 14. 3. was the same with the Supper in John 12. An imagination, that I cannot enough admire at, seeing there are so many things plainly to gainsay it: but the dis∣cussion of it shall be deferred till we come to those Chapters. Only one particular here may not be omitted without observation, and which will make something at present to∣ward the confutation of that opinion, and that is our Saviours answer in the vindication of Maries act, Let her alone, against the day of my burial hath she kept this: or rather, She hath kept it: Not that he meaneth that this anointing of his feet, was her anointing him against his burial, but that she had kept some of this oyntment yet for that purpose here∣after. Judas repined at the expence of the oyntment that she used for the anointing of his feet, and pleaded that it had been better bestowed upon charitable uses for the poor: Why? saith Christ, she hath kept it yet and not spent all, that she may bestow it upon a charitable use, the anointing of my body to its burial. For 1. neither the text doth any whit assert that she spent the whole pound that she brought, nor indeed in reason was so great a quantity needful. 2. It was not so proper to apply it to his burial now, when