seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
John 12:1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.
7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”
9 Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, 11 for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.
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Here's the link to the commentary I read.
Six days before the Passover: John gave a time marker, telling us that this was the last week before the death and burial of Jesus. Almost one-half of John’s Gospel is given to this last week. Matthew used more than 33% of his Gospel to cover that week, Mark nearly 40% and Luke over 25% — to seven days of Jesus’ entire life.
There they made Him a supper: Less than a week before His crucifixion, Jesus attended a dinner in Bethany, probably to celebrate the raising of Lazarus from the dead. With all Jesus had on His mind, knowing His fate as He came to Jerusalem for Passover, it is remarkable that He attended this dinner at all. Most would not feel like socializing.
Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus: In the midst of the supper, Mary gave a remarkable gift to Jesus. It wasn’t unusual to wash the feet of a guest, but it was unusual to do it during the meal itself, to use very costly oil of spikenard to do it, and to wipe the feet with her hair, using the hair as a kind of towel.
Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him: In a short time Judas would betray Jesus. His betrayal was so much darker when contrasted with the brightness of Mary’s devotion to Jesus. Judas probably objected to Mary’s gift because he was shamed by her simple and powerful display of love.
This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it: We rightly suppose that John did not know at that time that Judas was a thief; this was hidden to the disciples. Yet we also rightly suppose that Jesus did know that Judas was a thief yet He still appointed Him to be treasurer.
She has done this for the day of My burial: In the same way that it would be rude to loudly object to funeral expenses at the service for the deceased, so it was inappropriate for Judas or anyone else to put a price on Mary’s love and devotion to Jesus while He was still alive.
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This is some very deep stuff. It's way over my head and even after reading some commentary from "Got Questions" I'm even more confused.
First of all, please allow me to remind myself that I am following the story from the Book of Daniel, through John's Gospel and John's letters, to Revelation. I am trying to get to "End Times" stuff. Daniel said Jesus would return. Jesus has to get here, and leave, before He can return. This is about how He lived out His Mission here on earth and how He left. These verses are about an event that was pertinent to getting to the Cross as told by Jesus' best human friend, John the Apostle.
Now, when I went to "Got Questions" to try to get some clarification on the anointing, it got even more confusing. In "Got Questions", the description of an anointing is not the same from one version to another. Matthew and Mark describe anointing of the Messiah as well, but it seems they are describing different events. According to the "Got Questions" commentary, the woman in Matthew's story happened in the same town, Bethany, but that woman poured expensive ointment on Jesus' head as He was laying on a table. Mark, according to "Got Questions", says Jesus was sitting at the table in Bethany when a woman interrupted the dinner and poured oil on Jesus' head. Luke tells another story, but the anointing in Luke's Gospel, it happened a year in advance of His crucifixion. In Luke's version, the woman also washed Jesus with the perfume.
The washing of feet was just a friendly thing to do for a dinner guest in those days. People all wore sandals. You know how dirty your feet can get walking on a dusty road in sandals. It was customary for people to wash the feet of dinner guests, apparently.
Judas steals the spotlight from Mary, the sister of Lazarus, when he complains about the cost of the perfume Mary used on Jesus' feet.
Check out verse 6. Here, I've copied and pasted it here for you.
"John 11:6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it."
Judas was a thief. He could not stand that good money was spent. He would have preferred they put the money in the collection, a tithe if you will, so he could worship each coin. He was an idol [money] worshipping thief and he just could not stand the "frivolity" those women shared "with money that could have gone through him, to the poor".
The poor got the supplies Judas purchased with money donated from the followers of Jesus. Judas, of course, probably withheld a small fee for each transaction. He would call it "saving", but in actuality, it was theft.
In churches and synagogues all around the world, preachers, priests, elders, deacons, and other worship leaders, have their hands in the till. Many took the job so they could control the tithe and pay themselves for their own efforts. They claim the priests of God in the Old Testament, were paid out of the "offering" so they should be too. They conveniently never have to preach about the priests God had swallowed up by the ground for stealing.
I am not sure it's the same with the funding of USAID.... Do the people who run the programs at USAID take a little for themselves?
Judas would have said, "Hey, who pays for the lights and mortgage? You have to tithe or the church [or synagogue] will close down and you will have let God down. Do you want that on your conscience? Give me money or be judged!"
Judas only wanted to "cut" the costs so they could afford one of Jesus' mass pot luck dinners. Yeah right....
Judas would say Jesus had no respect for finances... wouldn't he?
Judas would say Jesus had no respect for how hard it is to balance the budget!
Judas was a thief and he resented Jesus.
Judas resented Jesus.
