The Anointment of Jesus by Mary of Bethany [pp. 484-511]

BY MARY OF BETIJANY.
suffered," or, in modern English,." Was it not necessary that
Christ should suffer?" So Jesus once said to Peter for not see-.
ing what Mary did and the apostles did not now see, "Get thee
behind me, Satan."w Severity of tone in Jesus was usually for
unbelief, approbation for faith.
Though they ought to have known it themselves, yet he condescends, as he so often did, to explain why they should not
trouble her, and the propriety and intention of the act they had
just seen.
"She hath wrought a good work upon me." The word.
"work" in modern English raises in most minds an idea of
something done to produce an effect on something or somebody
else, and the phrase "on me" increases the impression. But
he could not have meant that the work was good on him in the
sense that food, clothing or shelter would have been. As used
in the Bible, work is synonymous with action without the limiting association. And the whole phrase is equivalent to "She
hath done a good action," or rather "a beautiful action" respecting me, which avoids the misleading effect of the other
phrase, as if some such effect accounted for his approbation.
Mary's act was good, not for any effect on Jesus or for any value
in itself, but only for what it expressed or implied in her; that
is the love expressed, the faith implied. It was good in her respecting him. Its value was not in something done to him, but
something shown in her. This is so evident when once pointed
out, that it seems to require an apology for mentioning it. But
the erroneous impression created by the use of the phrase
"good work upon me," steals into the mind unless we guard
against it, and assists in the usual misunderstanding of the
drift of our Saviour's remarks.
Having stated that her act was good, he turns aside to answer the objection that her waste, as they called it, abridged
their ability to benefit the poor.
"For the poor ye have with you always, and whensoever ye
will ye can do them good, but me ye have not always." This,r
but for the reasons already given, might seem to mean "you can
benefit the poor at any time, me only now. The contrast, however, must really be, between opportunity for a good act to
wlatt. 16:23.
1874.]
499,~