Bible Study series: Mark 14:3-9. Her devotion will be remembered wherever the gospel is preached.
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Scripture: Mark 14:3-9
3 And while he was in Bethany, at Simon the Leper’s house, he was reclining at dinner, and a woman came, having an alabaster jar of pure and costly aromatic oil. Breaking it open, she poured it on his head. 4 But there were some who became indignant among themselves. “Why was this ointment wasted? 5 For this oil could be sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor!” They scolded her.
6 But Jesus said, “Let her be. Why do you cause trouble for her? She has done a good work for me. 7 For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do something good for them. But you do not always have me. 8 She did what she could with what she had. She acted ahead to anoint my body for burial. 9 I tell you the truth: wherever the gospel is preached to the whole world, what she did will be remembered as her memorial offering.” (Mark 14:3-9)
Comments:
3:
John 12:1-10 says he was that Lazarus was among those who reclined at table, in order to eat. It’s implied that it is his house, but it is not clearly stated that it was. So who was Simon the leper? He could have hosted the dinner, where Lazarus attended, and Martha and Mary attended and served. Some commentators have suggested that Simon was the father of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary. It appears that, living in a small village, all four would know each other, whether related or not. There is nothing improbable about the three siblings going to Simon’s house to eat. They may have lived right next door to each other.
But more important than reconciling these accounts, we must not allow ourselves to have a brittle faith, which snaps in two when a puzzle emerges in the Gospels. The essence of the story is the same. Let’s focus on that, instead of harmonizing the Simon / Lazarus dinner party.
“reclining”: In the Middle East at that time, people did not sit at table (sorry, Davinci), but their heads were towards the low table, and their feet farthest away from the table. When she broke open the jar and poured it on his head, she had to push in, which showed her devotion. Or he could have been sitting up, and that’s when the woman moved to do her act of devotion.
In my view, this scene is different from the one at Simon the Pharisees house (Luke 7:36-50). Other passages: Mark 14:3-9 and John 12:1-8. Some argue that all of the passages, even Luke 7:36-50, are the same scene, but just placed at different spots in the narrative. Maybe the anointing in Bethany at the end of the Gospels is the same incident, but not the one at Simon the Pharisee’s house. John identifies her as Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha. However, John does not say that they were all at their house. The three siblings may have known Simon quite well and were at the dinner.
It is odd that Simon would be remembered as the leper, for it is a sure thing that Jesus healed him; otherwise, no one could approach his house. He would have been a village outcast. A leper was required by law to wear torn clothes, let his hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of his face, and, as noted, cry out “Unclean! Unclean!” in order not to contaminate someone else (Lev. 13:45).
Skin Disease, Mold in Leviticus 13, 14 from a NT Perspective
Scholars nowadays say the word leprosy was generic for skin diseases. But let’s call Simon the “leper” for convenience. Sometimes nicknames stick. Also, Simon was the most common or numerous name in Israel and the entire large area (called Palestine), for hundreds of years (like the name William or John in early American records). Since this Simon was known in the earliest Christian community, which explains why he is named in Matthew and Mark’s Gospel, the Christians must have referred to him by his nickname to distinguish him from all the other Simons in the community. Peter’s birth name was Simon, to cite only this one example.
However, Jesus is not recorded as calling him that. But even if he had, then this nickname was to bring glory to God, for the healing. “I was once really a leper, but now look at me! I’m healed! I can even host the Lord in my own house!” If Mark knew the man’s name, why didn’t he mention Mary, and the same with Matthew who evidently borrowed from Mark or used an independent source? No one can figure out why some Gospel writers include or exclude people’s names, though one scholar has worked hard at explaining it (see Bauckham at the Works Cited link).
4-5:
The price of the ointment was three hundred denarii, about a working man’s yearly wage if he got steady work throughout the year, which often did not happen.
“scolded her”: it could be translated as “spoke angrily at her” (NET). They go on offense, but Jesus is about to counter them and go on defense.
6-8:
“she has done a good work for me”: “she worked a beautiful work” or “she worked a noble work” or “she worked a fine work” would be literal translations. It must be recalled that Jesus is defending a woman against a male put-down. She caught on to what was about to happen, though she may not have caught on fully. But the men did not, and they spent over three years with him. Jesus elevated her “beautiful work” or “action” to his burial. The reason he said “body” and not “head” is that the viscous ointment must have dripped down, and one usually prepared the entire body for burial.
Yes, the poor will always exist, and the disciples can help them whenever they can. But the disciples will not always have Jesus with them, and his death will be a one-time act and once and for all. Therefore, her anointing was perfectly thought through and perfectly done. Don’t scold her. Leave her alone.
9:
“I tell you the truth”: “Truth” comes from the word amēn (pronounced ah-main and comes into English as amen). Used thirteen times in Mark, it expresses the authority of the one who utters it. It could be translated as “truly I tell you” or I tell you with certainty.” Jesus’s faith in his own words is remarkable and points to his unique calling. In the OT and later Jewish writings is indicates a solemn pronouncement. It means we must pay attention to it, for it is authoritative. He is about to declare an important and solemn message or statement. The clause appears only on the lips of Jesus. That is, in Paul’s epistles, for example, he never says, “I truly say to you.” That phrasing had too much authority, which only Jesus had. The clause only appears on the lips of Jesus in the NT. The word appears in a Jewish culture and means “let it be so.” So Jesus speaks it out with special, divine emphasis. “Let this happen!” “Let what I’m about to say happen!” We better take it seriously and not just walk by it or read over it with a casual air.
What this unnamed woman (Mary in John’s Gospel 12:3) did must be taken note of.
He also elevated her action to the preaching of the gospel around the whole world. When it is preached, she shall be remembered. The fact that you and I are reading her beautiful work confirms Jesus’s prediction. We do remember her.
“gospel”: it is the Greek noun euangelion (pronounced yew-ahn-geh-lee-on, and the “g” is hard, as in “get”). Used 76 times in the NT, it combines eu– (good or positive) angel (message or announcement, and yes we get our word angel from Greek). The gospel announces salvation through Jesus Christ—a new “sheriff” is in town or on earth. Or if the sheriff imagery is displeasing to some, then the King of kings and Lord of lords has arrived, and he has a new revelation about God’s love for humanity and a new path right into his presence. The gospel is the power of God for salvation (Rom. 1:16), so charismatic power is built into it. It announces the coming of the kingdom of God or a new way that God relates to the world, though it has roots in the OT (Mark 1:15). The gospel brings out a response in people, positively or negatively (Matt. 26:13; Mark 1:14; 1 Cor. 9:14a; 2 Cor. 2:12). (Personally, I believe that humans have enough free will to resist the gospel until the day they die, but they do not have enough free will to strut into salvation without the Word or the gospel communicated in some fashion, even in a dream about Jesus, which is happening in the Muslim world). The Greek word is described as the “gospel of grace” (Acts 20:24) (as distinct from the law of Moses), the “gospel of salvation” (Eph. 1:13), and the “gospel of peace” (Eph. 6:19).
It is the good news about Jesus, not the bad news about him.
“memorial offering”: many translations say “in memory of her.” True enough. I would not want the memory about her to be forgotten. But in Acts 10:4 the Greek noun refers to a memorial offering, as it does in many verses in the Septuagint (LXX) (Decker). So I see this as her memorial offering, which is just as precious and should be remembered, wherever the good news is preached. In Matt. 26:13 I translated it as “in remembrance of her.”
GrowApp for Mark 14:3-9
1. John names the unknown woman as Mary. She did something dear and costly for Jesus, to show her devotion. What have you given up for his kingdom recently?
2. What about giving your entire life to him? Tell your story.
RELATED
10. Eyewitness Testimony in Mark’s Gospel
2. Church Fathers and Mark’s Gospel
2. Archaeology and the Synoptic Gospels
14. Similarities among John’s Gospel and the Synoptic Gospels
1. The Historical Reliability of the Gospels: Introduction to Series
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