Today while investigating the word ANOINT in James 5, we came across an interesting event in John’s Gospel about “anointing with oil”. Let’s take a look at that event:
1 Jesus, therefore, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they made Him a supper there, and Martha was serving; but Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him. 3 Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, *said, 5 “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor people?” 6 Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it. 7 Therefore Jesus said, “Let her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of My burial. 8 For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me.” (John 12)
The first question that came to mind is, did Mary KNOW that Jesus was going to be killed? Is THAT why she “anointed” him? I don’t think so. I think she anointed him as THE GUEST OF HONOR at the dinner. So WHY then did Jesus give this answer to Judas?: “For when she poured this perfume on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial.” Why in the world would Jesus say THAT to Judas?
OK, let’s use some COMMON SENSE here. First, we know that Judas was a THIEF. Second. we know that Judas was in the process of SELLING-OUT Jesus to the public officials. He had CONSPIRED with the political leaders to SECRETLY get Jesus MURDERED for a few coins. Basically, the 2nd Temple “authorities” put a SECRET HIT on Jesus because they couldn’t do that dirty deed IN PUBLIC. Why not? Jesus was VERY popular, because he TOLD THE TRUTH. And THE TRUTH made the public officials look REAL BAD. You see, at that time, EVERYBODY KNEW that political and legal corruption was ‘off the charts’ in 2nd Temple Israeli society, and Jesus made a big deal about it. Why? Because the government was OPPRESSING THE PEOPLE. He often used that corruption in his teachings by way of contrast with GOD’S KINGDOM. God’s kingdom was what 2nd Temple Israel was SUPPOSE TO BE. But they weren’t. Instead, they were the opposite. They were a COMMERCE kingdom, in bed with Rome. Essentially, 2nd Temple Israel was THE DEVIL’S KINGDOM!
So we see Mary on the one hand, and Judas on the other. Mary was HONORING Jesus, while Judas was CONSPIRING MURDER against Jesus. Pretty stark contrast, eh? The thing I think is so slick in this scenario is how Jesus addressed each person on their own terms. He talked to them based on each person’s MOTIVE. Being the Prophet Messiah, Jesus KNEW Mary’s and Judas’ MO, and so he addressed each of them accordingly. Here’s WHY I think he said that thing to Judas:
Essentially, Jesus was telling Judas, “I KNOW you’re in the process of conspiring MURDER against me. And I KNOW you will succeed. And I KNOW Mary is using-up this EXPENSIVE perfume to HONOR me. It’s beside the point that you’re a GREEDY THIEF, Judas, because the real point is YOU’RE ABOUT TO GET ME MURDERED. So you can consider this act of honor by Mary her attempt to PREPARE ME FOR BURIAL BECAUSE OF YOUR ACT OF MURDER.
So basically, Jesus was CONDEMNING Judas, while making sure Judas knew where he stood with Jesus. In the same breath, Jesus was protecting Mary from that greedy whore Judas, while also acknowledging Mary’s kind act of love towards her Messiah. We see Mary believing in God’s Kingdom on earth, and Judas believing in the devil’s kingdom on earth. That’s how I see it from a common sense perspective. What do you think?
I realize this is off-topic from our James study. In fact, the word OATH in James has a bit of history behind it. So it’s going to take me a little work to lay it out in a blog. Meanwhile I shared this little tid-bit because I thought it may be of interest and value to people who HONOR “the historical Jesus” (instead of the alternative)!
Reality Bible 