Gospel of Mark Study #45

“A Study in Contrasts”

Mark 14:1-11

Study #45 in Mark Series

INTRODUCTION:

Historians love to compare and contrast the lives of famous people, especially presidents, dictators, military leaders, philosophers, and artists. I would love to have a dollar just for every book about Robert E. Lee vs. Ulysses S. Grant, Franklin Roosevelt vs. Harry Truman, William Jennings Bryan vs. Clarence Darrow, Abraham Lincoln vs. Stephan A. Douglas, and John Adams vs. Thomas Jefferson. These pairs make for interesting studies in contrasts. 

TRANSITION:

In our text for this week, we have another fascinating “study in contrasts.” One of the two people is among the best-known Bible characters while the other is one of the least known. One was a woman, the other was a man. One will forever live in infamy and disgrace, the other will forever be honored and beloved. Have you guessed about whom I am talking? Let’s look at the passage—Mark 14:1-11. We are now in the section describing the last few days of Jesus’ earthly ministry. In fact, these events took place during what we call the Passion Week, the week leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection.

NOTES on the Text:

Verses 1-2: Now the Passover and feast of Unleavened Bread were two days away; and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to seize Him by stealth and kill Him; ² for they were saying, “Not during the festival, otherwise there might be a riot of the people.” 

• So now the story picks up on Tuesday evening (Jewish Wednesday) of Passion Week, that last week before Christ’s crucifixion on Friday. As you read through this section you get the feeling that time was moving---ever---so---slowly. That is because the Gospel writers included so many of the events of those days as well as a careful record of the actual words spoken by Jesus.
• “Not during the festival…” John 11:56-57 says that their original plan was to seize and kill Him during the Feast, but the Triumphal Entry and the Tuesday debates in the Temple apparently made them decide to wait until after the festival was over. For three days Jesus had been walking around in plain sight, in the Temple and in the courtyards where the people congregated. He was not hiding Himself. He knew what was going to happen to Him, but He pressed on anyway. He preached and taught, answered questions, and interacted with the scribes and teachers of the law, and the people loved Him. That is what made the leaders so nervous.
• Those same religious leaders had tried to entrap Him in legal, political, religious, and philosophical arguments but their schemes failed miserably. Now, however, they are talking about out-and-out murder. Yet they were afraid to move against Jesus because they knew that many of the common people greatly admired Him. Therefore, the leaders were reluctant to arrest Him or send men to beat Him up, because they were afraid that it might backfire against them. 

Verse 3: While He was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, there came a woman with an alabaster vial [flask] of very costly perfume of pure nard; and she broke the vial and poured it over His head. 

• A couple of things about this verse stand out to me. First, I am curious about this guy, “Simon the leper.” Who was he? We know that leprosy was the scourge of that day, the very word, “leprosy,” striking fear in the hearts and minds of people. And yet, Jesus went to Simon the leper’s home to dine with him. Almost certainly, Simon was a man whom Jesus had healed and who now wanted to repay the kindness. In those days there was no known cure or treatment for the disease. In fact, the cure for leprosy was only found in the late 1970s. After much testing, the World Health Organization began recommending multidrug therapy (MDT) in 1981, but it was not until 1995 that the treatment was made available worldwide. That was also the year that they officially announced that the disease was “cured.” Despite that fact there are thousands of people around the world who still suffer from the horrific effects of the disease. For example, there are still over 1,000 leper colonies in India alone. https://www.leprosymission.org/ 
• This same story about what occurred in the home of Simon the leper is told in Matthew 26:6-16. However, many people confuse this Simon with another Simon mentioned in Luke 7:36-50. But there is no way that they can be the same man, even though they both had the same first name and had similar things happen at their homes. For example, in both cases a woman barged in during dinner and anointed Jesus from an alabaster flask. However, the Simon in Luke is called “Simon the Pharisee.” In Mark and Matthew’s account the woman anointed Jesus’ head. At the other Simon’s house, the woman anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair. In the Mark/Matthew story Jesus rebuked His disciples. In the Luke story He rebuked the host, Simon. Besides all that, the chronology is all-wrong. The Luke story occurred much earlier in Jesus’ ministry. The anointing described here in Mark 14 happened at the very end of Christ’s ministry.
• To make things even more confusing, some Bible scholars and commentators say that the woman who broke in on Simon the leper’s dinner party (cf. Mark 14, Matthew 26) was really Mary, the sister of Lazarus, who also lived there in Bethany. They arrive at this conclusion by equating Mark 14 with John 12:1-8. This makes me go a little bit crazy because John 12:1 says that Mary’s anointing of Jesus occurred in Lazarus’ home, not Simon’s. Moreover, it says that Mary’s anointing occurred 6 days before Passover, thus putting it on the Saturday before the events of Mark 14. But notice that Mary’s anointing of Jesus’ feet clearly took place the day before Palm Sunday (cf. John 12:12-13).
• Why is all this important? Just because the Bible talks about similar events occurring, please do not jump to the conclusion that these are all just people’s imperfect recollections of the same event. The fact is, Jesus was anointed at least three different times, by three different women, in the homes of three different people. It happened first at Simon the Pharisee’s place where an unknown prostitute came in and anointed Jesus’ feet (cf. Luke 7:36ff). Later in Jesus’ ministry at the beginning of Passion Week it happened in Lazarus’ home when Mary again anointed Jesus’ feet (John 12:1ff). Less than a week later, while Jesus and His disciples were dining with Simon the leper, another un-named woman came in and anointed the Master’s head (cf. Mark 14:1ff; Matt. 26:6ff).
• Be a Berean! Check the facts for yourself. Do not buy into what people say just because they wrote a book or have a radio show. Compare Scripture with Scripture and do not be taken in by people who make bold assertions in loud voices. Study the Word for yourself and learn to be an “approved workman who accurately handles the Word of Truth.” 

Verses 4-5: But some were indignantly remarking to one another, “Why has this perfume been wasted?  ⁵ For this perfume might have been sold for over three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor.” And they were scolding her. 

• “But some were indignantly remarking to one another… The KJV says, “And they murmured against her.” The word here translated “indignantly” literally means, “to snort,” like a horse. Don’t you just love it when people get all huffy and indignant over something about which they know nothing? I doubt that those people had any insider knowledge about the current price of nard and frankincense, but that did not keep them from launching into a diatribe about the high cost of perfume and the deplorable conditions of the poor. They estimated the value of the perfume at­ “over 300 denarii,” which was nearly a year’s salary for a workingman. That was indeed a lot of money to them.
• What is sad, however, is that they were missing the point entirely. They failed to see the beauty of this woman’s extravagant gift to Jesus. They were blind to the fact that she got it, and that they were clueless. In fact, they were so infuriated that they began scolding her for what she had done.
• Who was this woman? We do not know. The Bible does not tell us her name or any details about her life. We also do not know what provoked this costly display of love and devotion for Jesus. We do not know if she was rich or poor. All we know is that she understood that Jesus was headed for the cross and that He was the Savior who had come to take away the sins of the world. Perhaps Jesus had healed her or one of her loved ones. Or perhaps she had heard Him teaching in the Temple courtyard and had come to believe in Him as her personal Lord and Savior, her Messiah. We must wait until we meet her in Heaven to learn all the details, but her actions speak volumes, even without any words.
• Look at what she DID:

Ø  First: She did not let anything get in the way of her getting to Jesus. Even the fact that she had not been invited to the party did not stop her. Even the fact that she was a woman and would be looked down on for this behavior did not stop her. Nothing got in her way.

Ø  Second: She invested what was probably her most precious material possession in a one-time extravagant act to honor Jesus. She held nothing back for herself. She poured it all out on Him.

Ø  Third: She held her ground in the face of scorn and rebuke because she knew that what she was doing was the right thing, whether it was popular or not.

Verses 6-8: But Jesus said, “Let her alone; why do you bother her? She has done a good deed to Me.  ⁷ For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you do not always have Me. ⁸ She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial.”  

• Jesus knew that the disciples’ feigned concern for the poor was bogus. He pointed out that there would always be opportunities to show kindness and generosity to poor people. However, He was not going to be with them for much longer. So, when the disciples began scolding the woman Jesus stood up for her. He defended her generous, loving act and her honor.
• Not only that, Jesus also defended and explained her motivation. He said, “She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial.” Jesus could see into the woman’s heart. He knew precisely what motivated her to do what she did, and He approved of it. He said that she was anointing His body for burial. That is a sobering thought. Somehow, she had come to understand what the disciples had not—that He really was going to DIE! She got it. They did not.
• “She has done what she could” That is a melancholy statement. Jesus had to die. He knew it, and apparently, she knew it, too. To save sinners Christ had to die. There was no way around it. The cup could not pass from Him. But the woman did what she could—she anointed Jesus with the most precious thing she owned, as a way of showing her gratitude for what He was about to do. But that begs the question, doesn’t it? — “Have we done all that we can do to honor Him?” I will leave that one for you to ponder.
• Notice that the disciples were condemning something that Jesus approved. It strikes me that we need to learn to approve what God approves, and to condemn what God condemns. All too often we get those two categories confused. We, like the disciples, wax eloquent about things we think God would not approve of, and yet sometimes totally ignore the things He says He “hates.” What do I mean? What does God hate? Well, let’s start with Proverbs 6:16-19: “There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to Him: ¹⁷ haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, ¹⁸ a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, ¹⁹ a false witness who pours out lies, and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.” We read that list and immediately say: “Well shucks, I can think of a whole bunch of things worse than those. How about being a drug dealer, or a homosexual, or a child molester, or a bank robber? Those are worse, aren’t they?” Well, I am sure that God does not approve of those things either, but before we start making our own lists, I think we should get serious about avoiding the behaviors that God put on His list, if you know what I mean. 

Verse 9: “Truly I say to you, wherever the Gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.” 

• The loving act of this un-named woman has come down to us through 2,000 years of history and stands as a timeless monument to what it means to genuinely love Jesus. The Master Himself said that her gift would never be forgotten. She did something that counted for eternity. Through the wonder of Bible translation her story is still being told in languages all around the world. Her love for Jesus and her wonderful gift will be remembered forever.

Verse 10: Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went off to the chief priests in order to betray Him to them. 

• We will probably never fully understand what motivated Judas to do such a weaselly, cowardly thing. Perhaps it was partly in response to Jesus’ rebuke to His disciples. It made Judas hopping mad! Or perhaps he had become disillusioned with Jesus’ failure to lead the rebellion against Rome and establish His own Jewish kingdom, the way Judas had hoped. On the other hand, Luke explains it by saying that Satan entered him (cf. Luke 22:3). Matthew describes Judas as having a love for money (Matt. 26:14-15). Maybe it was a combination of all four of these things.

Verse 11: They [i.e., the chief priests] were glad when they heard this and promised to give him money. And he began seeking how to betray Him at an opportune time. 

• The Jewish religious leaders finally saw their chance to get at Jesus. That came in the form of one of the Galilean’s own followers who was willing to betray his Master for a few coins. The hellish covenant was made, the deal was witnessed, and the price was agreed upon. Now all that remained was to seal the deal with a kiss, a traitor’s kiss. 

CONCLUSION:

William Barclay, in his commentary on the Gospel of Mark, says this about verses 10-11: “The very essence of sin is pride. The very core of sin is independence. The very heart of sin is the desire to do what we like and not what God likes. That is what the Devil, Satan, the Evil One stands for. He stands for everything which is against God, and which will not bow to God. That is the very spirit which was incarnate in Judas. We shudder at Judas. But let us think again—covetousness, jealousy, ambition, the dominant desire to have our own way of things. Are we so very different? These are the things which made Judas betray Jesus, and these are the things which still make men betray Him in every age.”

This text centers around two people: Judas Iscariot who betrayed his Savior, and the dear un-named woman who anointed Jesus with costly oil. It is a study in contrasts.

Ø  Judas took all he could get: the woman gave all that she had.

Ø  Judas did his evil work under a cloak of secrecy and darkness: the woman did her righteous work openly, in the light, before witnesses.

Ø  Judas was filled with hatred and resentment toward Jesus: the woman was filled with love for her Savior.

Ø  Judas’ name will forever be synonymous with scheming and betrayal: the woman who anointed Jesus will forever be a model of unselfish love and dedication.

Ø  Judas went to Hell where he will be forever: the woman went to Paradise and is now and ever with the Lord.

Ø  Judas betrayed the Savior for chump change: the woman poured out a year’s wages in one glorious unselfish act.

Ø  Judas did not value Jesus at all: the woman valued Jesus above all.

Ø  Judas was willing to dispose of Jesus for the price of a slave, to bring pleasure to himself: the woman was willing to dispose of all she possessed to bring pleasure to her Master.

FEEDBACK:

What stands out to you from this text? Is there a spiritual lesson for you in these verses? What can we learn from the reaction of the disciples? The attitude of Judas? The unselfish act of the woman? How will this story affect your life this week?