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The Anointing at Betania

And it came to pass, when Jess had finished all these sayings, he said untohis disciples, Ye know that after two days is the feast of the Passover, and theSon of man is betrayed to be crucifiedNow when Jess was in Betania, in thehouse of Simn the leper, there came unto him a woman having an alabaster

box of ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat Mat_26:1,Mat_26:2, Mat_26:6, Mat_26:7

Jess Was Calm on His Way to the Cross

We are now approaching the last days of the earthly life of Jess in our study of Mateo'sEvangelio, and our lesson opens with the clear declaration from our Saviour's lips that intwo days He would be crucified. There is a singular interest in Mateo's little preface tothese words: he tells us that it was "when Jess had finished all these sayings" that Hespoke plainly about His crucifixion. That means, I take it, that the mind of Cristo was calm;that there was order and quiet progress in His teaching; that He moved forward throughHis many lessons with a deliberate and sure advance, till His hearers were able to bear thenews of Calvary. How apt we are, when a great secret holds us, to blurt it out in an ill-considered way! How thoughtless and how unkind we often are, in the eager telling of

unpleasant things! The narrative of Mateo deepens our impression of the noble self-restraint of Jess. Mateo had felt in Cristo that sweet reserve without which love is sure toprove a wastrel. Observe, too, that when Jess foretells His death, He does not say He isgoing to be betrayed. He says, "The Son of Man is betrayed to be crucified" (Mat_26:24).That intimates that in the heart of Judas, Cristo read the deed as if already done. In thethoughts of the traitor everything was planned, and Jess is a discerner of men's thought.The secret imaginings of our today are the open sins and failures of our tomorrow. There isa deep philosophy of conduct in the advice of Paul, to bring every thought into captivity toCristo. I fancy that God sees, hidden in every acorn, the beauty and the gnarled strength ofthe oak tree; so Jess, in the dark and brooding heart of Judas, saw the arrest in thegarden, and the cross. And one point more: The high priest is called Caifas ( Mat_26:3).But it seems that Caifas was only his distinguishing name. His personal name was Joseph,

but there were so many Josephs that men called him Joseph Caifas, perhaps Joseph theOppressor. Can we recall a similar Bible instance where the name of Joseph has beenalmost forgotten? "Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, which is, beinginterpreted, the Son of Consolation" (Act_4:36).

In the House of Simn the Leper

Then follows the beautiful scene at Betania, and we cannot too closely note the settingof it. It is immediately preceded by this black conspiracy ( Mat_26:1-5); it is immediatelyfollowed by the traitor's bargain (Mat_26:14-16). On the one side, fear and jealousy andhatred; on the other side, treachery and bargain driving. And in the center (a rose betweenthe thorns) a love that forgot everything and lavished all. Who Simn the leper was, we donot know. I like to think he was that leper we read of, who had cried, "Lord, if Thou wilt,Thou canst make me clean" (Mat_8:2). Whoever he was, no doubt our Lord had cleansed

him: and yet men called him Simn the leper still. You see how old names, like oldreputations, stick. Men keep them alive with a kind of evil pleasure. There would be many

who could never talk of Simn but they would add, "Of course, you have heard he was aleper once?" And yet I think that Simn loved his name. It was a standing memorial of oneglorious morning. He never could think how he had been a leper but it led him to think ofhow he had met the Lord; and now that that same Lord was at his table, he may have beensaying, "My cup is running over." It was then that this woman, whom we know to have

been Mara, performed this act that was to live forever. She broke the alabaster box of veryprecious ointment, and poured it on Jess' head as He reclined at meat. And the disciples

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were indignant and thought it sheer extravagance; but Jess crowned the act withimmortality. Just note that in the ancient world rare ointments were commonly held inalabaster vases. Herodotus tells somewhere that among the presents sent by KingCambyses to the Ethiopians there was an alabaster vessel of nard like Mara's. Now, if this

woman were indeed the sister of Lazarus, may not the ointment have been purchased toanoint his body, and so have been given with a double meaning to the Lord who had raised

her brother from the grave ?The Lord Can Read the Glory of Humble Acts

The first thing to impress us in this story is Cristo's rich interpretation of the deed. Itwas a simple action, done by a sinful woman, yet Jess drew a wealth of meaning from it.To the disciples it was a foolish exhibition. Even the best of them thought lightly of it.Cristo had no need of it, so they began to reason; He came not to be ministered unto but tominister. Were there no paupers in the village of Betania? And might not the ointmenthave been sold for their benefit? A murmur of disapproval ran round the table, scarcelyaudible, perhaps, when it reached John, but loud and positive when Judas voiced it(Joh_12:4). And then, had you asked the woman what she meant, I dare say she wouldhave stammered in reply. She might have said she had never stopped to reason; she hadonly listened to her heart, and there she was. None of the disciples knew what she wasdoing; I question if she really knew herself. Only Jess saw the meaning of the deed, andfelt its glory in the love that filled it. Never forget, then, that we serve a Lord who can readthe humblest actions gloriously. The Son of man in the midst of the seven candlesticks haseyes as it were a flame of fire (Rev_1:14). He sees in the simple deed, inspired by love,meanings and purposes we never dreamed of. He so interprets our poor and tangledservice that we shall hardly know it in the morning. All which is fitted to make us veryhopeful when, loving the Master, we first try to serve Him; and to restrain us from judgingor troubling anybody when they serve in ways we fail to understand.

Mara's Act of Sacrifice Was a Symbol of Cristo's Cross

But the heart of this exquisite story lies in this, that this deed was the dying of Jess, ina figure. It was not merely because love inspired it that Jess crowned it with unequalled

praise. It was because He found in it the very Spirit that was leading Him on so steadily toCalvary. Had Mara stopped to balance or to weigh, we should never have heard of thealabaster box. Had the gift been calculated to a nicety, it had never been part of theundying Evangelio. But the love of Mara never asked how little; the love of Mara onlyasked how much. With a magnificent and glorious disregard, it broke the box and lavishedeverything. Now there is no need to make the alabaster box a type and figure of the body ofJess. It was not the vase that was like the body of Cristo; it was the act that was kindred toHis death. For Jess, like Mara, never asked how little. He lavished everything in savingmen. He gave with a glorious fulness like that of Mara's, when He gave Himself to thecross and to the grave. And wherever the love of Cristo is known and felt, and the wonderof its lavish sacrifice awakens, "there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told fora memorial of her."

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La uncin en BetaniaY lleg a pasar,cuando Jess haba terminado todos estos dichos,l dijoen sus discpulos,Vos conoce ese despus de dos das es el banquete de laPascua,y el Hijo de Dios de hombre es traicionado para ser crucificado

Ahora cuando Jess estaba en Betania,en la casa de Simn el leproso,allvino en l una mujer teniendo una caja del alabastro de ungento,y la

verti en su cabeza,como l se sent a la carne Mat 26:1,Mat 26:2,Mat26:6,_ 26:7 MateJess Estaba tranquilo en Su Way para los CrossEstamos ahora acercndonos a los ltimos das de la vida terrenal de Jess en nuestroestudio del evangelio de Mateo,y nuestra leccin abre con la declaracin clara de loslabios de nuestro Salvador que en dos das l sera crucificado. Hay un inters singularen el prlogo pequeo de Mateo para estas palabras:l nos cuenta todo que estaba"cuando Jess haba terminado todos estos dichos" que l habl claro acerca de Sucrucifixin.Eso significa,lo tomo,que la mente de Cristo estaba tranquila;Esa all fueorden y progreso quieto en Su enseanza; Que l movido adelante a travs de Lo de lmuchos lecciones con un cajn pausado y seguro de avanzada, Sus oyentes pudieronsoportar las noticias de calvario.Qu apropiados somos,cuando un gran secreto cree

que nosotros,para barbulla l fuera en una forma imprudente!Qu irreflexivo y qucrueles a menudo somos,en el relato ansioso de cosas que disgustan!La narrativa deMateo hace ms honda nuestra impresin del autodominio noble de Jess. Mateohaba sentido en Cristo que la reserva dulce sin la cual el amor es seguro para poner aprueba a un derrochador.Comente,tambin,que cuando Jess predice Su muerte,lno dice que l vaya a estar traicionado.l dice,"El Hijo del hombre es traicionado paraser crucificado" (_ 26:24 Mate).Eso intima que eso en el corazn de Judas,Cristo leyla accin de tan si ya fue hecho.En los pensamientos del traidor todo fue planeado,yJess es un discernidor de pensamiento de hombres.Las imaginaciones secretas denuestro hoy son los pecados manifiestos y los fracasos de nuestro maana. Hay unafilosofa profunda de conducta en el consejo de Pablo,para meter cada pensamiento encautividad para Cristo.Supongo que Dios ve,escondido en cada bellota,la belleza y lafuerza enmaraada del roble;As es que Jess,en el corazn moreno y amenazante deJudas,vio el arresto en el huerto,y la cruz.Y un punto ms: El sacerdote alto esllamado Caifas (_ 26:3 Mate).Pero parece que Caifas fuese slo su nombre distintivo.Su nombre personal fue Joseph,pero hubiera tantos Jos que los hombres le llamaronJoseph Caifas,quiz Joseph el Opresor.Podemos recordar una instancia similar de laBiblia donde el nombre de Joseph ha sido casi olvidado?"Jose,quin por los apstolesestaba Bernabe apellidado,que es,ser interpretado,el Hijo de Dios de Consolacin"(Hech 4:36).En la Asamblea Legislativa de Simn el LeperEntonces sigue la escena bella en Betania, y tambin estrechamente no podemos notarel trasfondo de l.Es inmediatamente precedido por esta conspiracin negra (_ 26:1-5Mate);Es inmediatamente seguido por la ganga del traidor (_ 26:14-16 Mate).En elnico lado,tenga miedo y celos y odio;Al otro lado,la traicin y la ganga conduciendo.

Y en el centro (una rosa entre las espinas) un amor que olvid todo y prodig todo.Quin Simn el leproso fue, nosotros no sabemos. Me gusta pensar que l fue eseleproso leemos de,quien haba llorado,"Seor,si Usted languidece,Usted marca delcanst yo limpio" (_ 8:2 Mate).Quienquiera que l fue,sin duda nuestro Seor le habalimpiado:Y pero los hombres le llamaron a Simn el leproso quieto.Usted ve qu tan

viejo les gusta los nombres,las viejas reputaciones,la vara.Los hombres les mantienenvivo con un tipo del mal placer.Habra muchos que nunca podran hablar de Simnpero ellos se aadiran, "Claro est,usted ha odo que l fue un leproso una vez""Ypero pienso que Simn am su nombre. Fue una conmemoracin de pie de una

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maana gloriosa.l nunca podra pensar cmo haba sido l un leproso pero eso ledirigi a pensar de cmo haba encontrado l al Seor;Y ahora que ese mismo Seorestaba en su mesa,l pudo haber dicho,"Mi taza se derrama"Fue entonces tan estamujer, quin sabemos para haber sido Maria, realiz este acto que fue vivir porsiempre.Ella rompi la caja alabastrina de ungento muy precioso,y la verti en lacabeza de Jess como l se reclinase en carne.Y los discpulos estaban indignados y

pensaron eso pura extravagancia; Pero Jess culmin el acto con inmortalidad.Justamente note eso en los ungentos raros mundiales antiguos fuera comnmentemantenido en floreros alabastrinos. Herodoto dice a alguna parte eso entre lospresentes expedidos por rey Cambyses para los etopes que hubo una vasija alabastrinade nardo como Maria.Ahora,si esta mujer fuera ciertamente, entonces la hermana deLzaro, que el ungento no pudo ser comprada ungir su cuerpo, y as tambin ha sidodada con un doble sentido para El Seor que haba criado su hermano de la tumba?El Seor Puede leer la Gloria de Actos HumildeLa primera cosa a impresionarnos en esta historia es interpretacin enriquecedora deCristo de la accin. Fue una accin simple, hecha por una mujer pecaminosa, peroJess sac un acervo de significado del.Para los discpulos fue una exhibicin necia.

Aun lo mejor de ellos pens ligero en eso.Cristo no tuvo necesidad de ella,as es que

comenzaron a razonar;l vino a no ser pastoreado pero ministrar. Hubo ninguno delos pobres en el pueblo de Betania? Y no pudo enajenarse el ungento para subeneficio?Un murmullo de desaprobacin ech a andar alrededor de la mesa,apenasaudible,puede ser,cundo alcanz a Juan,pero el chilln y el positivo cuando Judas loexpres (Juan 12:4).Y entonces,si usted preguntase a la mujer lo que ella quiso decir,entonces me atrevo a decir que ella habra tartamudeado en la respuesta. Ella podrahaber dicho que ella nunca se haba detenido para razonar; Ella slo haba escuchadosu corazn,y all ella fue. Ninguno de los discpulos supieron lo que ella estabadesempendose;Dudo si ella realmente se conoci.Slo Jess vio el significado de laaccin,y sinti su gloria en el amor tan llena a ella.Nunca olvdese, entonces,queservimos a un Seor que puede leer las acciones del humblest gloriosamente. El Hijode hombre en medio de los siete candeleros tiene ojos como fuera una flama de fuego(Apoc1:14).l ve en la accin simple,inspirada por el amor,significados y propsitoscon los que nunca soamos. l tanto interpreta nuestro servicio poco numeroso yenmaraado que apenas lo sabremos en la maana.Todo lo que es acomodado parahacernos muy esperanzadores cuando, amando el Master, nosotros el intento deprimera parte a servirle;Y para restringirnos de juzgar o molestar a alguien cuandosirven en formas no comprendemos.El Acto de Sacrificio de Maria Fue un Smbolo de la Cruz de CristoSino que el corazn de esta historia exquisita recae sobre esto,que esta accin fue lamoribunda de Jess,en una figura.No fue meramente porque el amor le inspir queJess lo culmin con alabanza inigualable.Estaba porque l encontr en eso el mismoSpirit que le conduca tan firmemente calvario. si Mara se hubiera detenido para

balancearse o pesar, entonces nunca deberamos haber tenido noticias de la cajaalabastrina.si el regalo hubiera estado calculado para una sutileza, entonces nunca lohaba estado en parte del Evangelio imperecedero.Pero el bien amado de Mara nuncapregunt qu tan pequeo;El bien amado de Mara slo preguntada cunto.Con unadesatencin magnificente y gloriosa, rompi la caja y prodig todo.Ahora no haynecesidad para hacer la caja del alabastro un tipo y creer del cuerpo de Jess. No fue elflorero que fue como el cuerpo de Cristo;Fue el acto que estaba emparentado para Sumuerte.Pues Jess,como Mara,nunca pregunt qu tan pequeo.l prodig todoadentro salvo hombres. l cedi con unos fulness gloriosos como eso de Mara's,cundo l se dio a la cruz y a la tumba. Y doquiera que el amor de Cristo es conocido y

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sentido,y la admiracin de su sacrificio abundante se despierta,"all lo har tambinesto,que este hath de mujer hecho,sea informado para una conmemoracin suya""