© 1995 Ann Bendall
© 1995 The Brotherhood of Man Library
In his thirteenth year, and on his first trip to Jerusalem, Jesus and his parents paused to rest in the borders of a little village called Bethany. There Jesus first met Lazarus (same age), Mary (two years younger), and Martha (one year older), who were to become lifelong friends (UB 124:6.9). Later that week, he was given permission by his parents to spend the Wednesday night of the Passover week at his new-found friends’ home, and here the loving bond was established between the four as Lazarus, Martha and Mary “heard Jesus discuss things temporal and eternal, human and divine.” (UB 125:2.7).
These three shared more of his life history than any other humans, believing, loving, and respecting him from the very beginning. Although thrilled to have his company on the few precious occasions that he could visit, many were the times when they extended the hospitality of their home, so as to allow him to wander alone in their garden at night when they would have much preferred to chat.
The fact that circumstance prevented Jesus from visiting them often in no way hindered the development of their friendship. And, during the years of that friendship, it was the custom for the three to drop everything and listen to Jesus’ teaching whenever he chanced to visit them (although Martha was often “unnecessarily distracted by numerous needless tasks” and “perturbed because Mary did nothing to help.”) (UB 162:8.2-3)
In the difficult years after his father’s death, Jesus must have yearned, at times, for their company, and in his twentieth year “Although they could hardly afford it, Jesus had a strange longing to go up to Jerusalem for the Passover. . . He was not markedly conscious of it, but what he most wanted was an opportunity to talk with Lazarus and to visit with Martha and Mary. Next to his own family he loved these three most of all. (UB 127:6.3) with a fervent affection (UB 167:4.2) And he was the idolized ideal of all three of them.” (UB 127:6.5)
They played a spectacular role in his later public life and two inter-related events involving the family —Lazarus being raised from the dead, and Mary’s anointing of Jesus’ head and feet, in anticipation of his death, have both been recorded in the gospels. What did the latter event represent, and why did Mary make this gesture?
Bethany was agog with the news of Lazarus having been raised from the dead! Jesus arrived at Bethany shortly after four o’clock on Friday afternoon, March 31, AD 30. Too many people were coming to visit Lazarus, and so it was arranged for Jesus to stay at Simon’s home (the leading citizen of the town since Lazarus’ fathers death) rather than with Lazarus, Mary and Martha. Simon planned a banquet in honour of both Jesus and Lazarus, on the evening after the Sabbath (six days before the Passover). This was in defiance of the Sanhedrin whose agents attended the banquet but were fearful of arresting Jesus in the midst of his friends.
Despite the apostles being a sober lot, Jesus was exceptionally cheerful and had been playing with some children up to the time of coming to the table. (UB 172:1.4) The apostles were apprehensive of Jesus’ arrest whilst many of the guests believed that Jesus was now going into Jerusalem, in utter defiance of the Sanhedrin’s decree of death, to proclaim himself king of the Jews. However, Lazarus, Martha, and Mary more fully realized that the Master was not that kind of a king and felt that this might be his last visit to Jerusalem and Bethany. (UB 172:0.2)
Whilst Jesus and Lazarus were placed in positions of honour at the supper, Martha busied herself directing the serving of the food, and Mary was an onlooker, as it was against the custom of the Jews for a woman to sit at a public banquet.
Mary waited until near the close of the feasting, and then went up to where Jesus reclined as the guest of honor. She proceeded to open a large alabaster cruse of spikenard (a very rare and costly ointment, equal in sum to the earnings of one man for one year—enough to provide bread for five thousand persons), and anointed her friend’s head, after which she poured it on his feet, took down her hair and wiped them with it. Mary had long saved the money to buy this cruse of spikenard with which she planned to enbalm Jesus’ body with at his death. She knew he was shortly to die, and decided “to bestow this offering upon the Master while he yet lived.” (UB 172:1.7).
And as the whole house became filled with the odor of the ointment, and everybody present was amazed at what Mary had done, some of the people murmured, showing indignation that so costly an ointment should be thus used.
Judas was particularly offended and, stepping over to where Andrew reclined, said: “Why was this ointment not sold and the money bestowed to feed the poor? You should speak to the Master that he rebuke such waste.” (UB 172:1.5)
Instead Jesus protected and defended the action of Mary. There is no mention that Mary was disturbed by the criticism, and so why was Jesus? Did he act to avert a more direct attack on Mary? We do not know, all we are told is that, referring to no person in particular, he rebuked (scolded, remprimanded) as follows: “Putting his hand upon Mary’s head as she knelt by his side and, with a kindly expression upon his face, Jesus said: ‘Let her alone, every one of you. Why do you trouble her about this, seeing that she has done a good thing in her heart? To you who murmur and say that this ointment should have been sold and the money given to the poor, let me say that you have the poor always with you so that you may minister to them at any time it seems good to you; but I shall not always be with you; I go soon to my Father. This woman has long saved this ointment for my body at its burial, and now that it has seemed good to her to make this anointing in anticipation of my death, she shall not be denied such satisfaction. In the doing of this, Mary has reproved all of you in that by this act she evinces faith in what I have said about my death and ascension to my Father in heaven. This woman shall not be reproved for that which she has this night done; rather do I say to you that in the ages to come, wherever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, what she has done will be spoken of in memory of her.’” (UB 172:1.6)
Yea, there are many who do say; if thou wilt show unto us a sign from heaven, then we shall know of a surety; then we shall believe. Now I ask, is this faith? Nay; for if a man knoweth a thing he hath no cause to believe, for he knoweth it.
Alma 32:17-18
And at the same instant, and over the same set of events one friend, Mary, demonstrated a faith and belief that few at the supper displayed, whilst another friend, Judas, “finally made up his mind to seek revenge for his hurt feelings”—revenge against the one person who truly loved him—Jesus! He personalized Jesus’ rebuke as directed towards himself and made his disastrous decision!
Pure friendship is an image of the original and perfect friendship that belongs to the Trinity and is the very essence of God.
Simone Weil, Waiting for God.