codices Græci, quia nec Filius scit." Not improbably they were purposely omitted at a time when the orthodox did not scruple to defend the Faith by improper means. Cf. the insertion in 1 S. John v. 7. 6"Watch" of the Authorised Version in vv. 33 and 35 is represented by different Greek words—ἀγρυπνεῖτε and γρηγορεῖτε. 7 In olden times the Jewish night had been divided into three watches-cf. Judges vii. 19,-but Lightfoot has disputed this (Exercit. in Matt. xiv. 25). The Rabbis, however, testify to the triple division. The fourfold watch was adopted between the time of the Judges and David, not, as is commonly said, when Judæa became a Roman province. Cf. i. 240. S. Luke vii. 37. LXII. The Gift of Mary of Bethany. S. MARK XIV. I-II. 1. After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by craft, and put Him to death. 2. But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people. 3. And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on His head. 4. And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? 5. For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her. 6. And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on Me. 7. For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but Me ye have not always. 8. She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint My body to the burying. 9. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her. 10. And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray Him unto them. 11. And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray Him. THIS record of the anointing of our Lord in connection with His coming Passion1 is preserved by three of the Evangelists. S. Luke, who passes it over, has however noticed another which took place at a much earlier stage, in His Galilean ministry. On both occasions it was in the house of a man named Simon, who is designated in one narrative "the Pharisee," in the other "the leper." In the former the woman who anointed Him is unnamed, but described as 66 a sinner." In the latter it was Mary of Bethany. It is no doubt possible that the persons, though differently described, are to be identified. If so, the case affords an interesting illustration of unremitting gratitude for mercy and pardon. A woman whose sins had made her an outcast from society found a Friend in Jesus, and became henceforth a devoted follower. Unable to tear herself from His company, she sat at His feet till her sister complained; and she repeated with most lavish prodigality the anointing which was associated with her forgiveness. If S. Augustine was right in his conjecture (for he is responsible for this view) we have here a striking example of the principle, "to whom much is forgiven the same loveth much." But there are grave reasons that would make us hesitate, even upon such weighty authority, where it stands almost alone, to accept the supposition. Suffice it to mention that there is S. Luke not the slightest trace of evidence discoverable, historical or traditional, direct or indirect, that Mary Roman. of Bethany had ever lived a life of sin and shame. It is with hardly less injustice supposed that "the Edw. vi. vii. 39. Brev. I Prayer- Gosp. for sinner," of whom S. Luke speaks, was Mary Magda- July 22. The heading lene. of S. Luke vii. in A.V. The theory rests upon no more substantial basis than the juxtaposition in the third Gospel of the Greg. Hom. two events of the anointing by an unknown woman, in Evang. 25. and the casting out of seven devils from Mary of Magdala. And yet the belief in the identity of persons, fostered so largely by Christian art, has taken such a firm and lasting hold upon the popular mind, that "a penitent" and "a Magdalene" are regarded as synonymous terms. The only safe course is to leave the earlier anointing vague as the Evangelist left it. Had it been recorded by S. John the uncertainty would doubtless have been removed, on the same principle which led him to disclose the name of the chief actor in the later event, though it had been passed over in silence by S. Matthew and S. Mark. When they wrote probably Mary was alive, and her name was suppressed out of consideration for her feelings; but when S. John composed his Gospel, many years later,2 all reason for the suppression had been removed by her death; and as she could not suffer any inconvenience from the notoriety, the whole details were made known. It was just what happened with regard to the resurrection of her brother Lazarus. It has often created some surprise that this crowning miracle of our Lord's works should have only been recorded by one Evangelist; but the rest were doubtless influenced by the same motives which guided them in concealing Mary's name. If the tradition be true that Lazarus lived in his restored life for thirty years, he must have been alive when the first three Gospels were published, and rather than make him an object of curiosity, probably even of persecution from the Jews, the writers passed over the miracle; but when S. John wrote Lazarus had died, and so the veil of reserve was removed. in Matt. of Christ, If we may attempt to picture the supper which was prepared for Jesus at Bethany, we should place Him at the table between Simon and Lazarus, and, Nicephorus. if the tradition be trustworthy which makes them Theophylact father and son, and supposes the former to have xxvi. been healed of his leprosy by our Lord, it is impossible to imagine a more touching scene. Both were Ewald, Life trophies of His power and love; both had been E. Tr. 239. raised to life by His hand, for while Lazarus had been actually called forth from the tomb, Simon Ducange, s. had been raised from a condition of living death. And as they sat at meat, Mary came behind with an alabaster 3 vase of the costliest unguent, and crushing the seal upon the mouth, poured the whole contents over His head. The fragrance was such VOL. II. 4 M Leprosi. |