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| the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always… |
1 Then Jesus six days before the
passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised
from the dead. 2 There they made him a supper;
and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. 3 Then took Mary a pound of
ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped
his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the
ointment. 4 Then saith one of his disciples,
Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, 5 Why was not this ointment sold
for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? 6
This he
said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the
bag, and bare what was put therein. 7 Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she
kept this. 8 For the poor
always ye have with you; but me ye have not always. 9 Much people of the Jews
therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but
that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 But the chief priests consulted
that they might put Lazarus also to death; 11 Because that by reason of him
many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus. (John
12:1-11)
Not many days before the Passover (the one and only Lord's Passover fulfilled),
Jesus had raised a man named Lazarus from the dead. He was brother to Mary and
Martha of Bethany, a family of particular fondness to our Lord. The Jewish
religious leaders knew full well that no mere man could raise one from the dead
who had lain in the tomb for four days; and they knew likewise that none but
God could work such miracles. So what was their response? "Then gathered
the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this
man doeth many miracles." John 11:47 (KJV) These men were of such
stone-cold hearts that they were blinded by their passion and greed. They were
blind to the glory and brightness of God's Son whom they sought to destroy -
knowing full well who He truly was. "Then from that day forth they took
counsel together for to put him to death." John 11:53 (KJV) The
minions of Satan still reward righteousness with premeditated murder and
persecution. Imagine: because Christ restored sight to the blind, restored the
leper to health, bade the lame to walk, and raised the dead, these culprits
care more for their silken robes and plush Temple than for life and love, and
seek to kill Him.
Just yesterday, six of those minions of Satan (Al-Qaida affiliates) went onto
the beach of the Ivory Coast in Africa and murdered twenty-two unarmed men,
women and children - these 'brave soldiers of Allah' seem to have greater
courage in waging war on the unarmed innocent then against soldierly men of the
line. They killed a mere boy who kneeled before them praying for his life. As
they murdered, they shouted "Allahu Ahkbar!" - the rallying call of
their little false god of death. Allah is Great - really? Great at rape,
murder, and mayhem? As the wise Solomon proclaims, there is no new thing
under the sun. (Eccl 1:9)
We see in our narrative, that our Lord comes to Bethany six days before the
culmination of that Passover of the Lord in Egypt which foreshadowed across
those many centuries this last Passover at which our Lord will be the Lamb of
God offered up as a sacrifice in redemption of our sins.
There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them
that sat at the table with him. Many blame Martha for not continually
sitting at the knee of Jesus, but someone must also serve. Here, as usual, we
see the faithful Martha serving her Lord and His company. The difference in
Martha and Mary is this - Mary always served our Lord with greater tenderness
and in a close and personal manner. This irritated Martha because she was the
one that the unseen labor fell upon. But the service of both was blessed in the
eyes of our Lord. Significantly, Lazarus, whom Christ had raised from the dead
just days earlier sat with the Lord's company at the table. There were no
lingering symptoms of the cast of death about Lazarus. He was healthy and
hungry! After our dead bodies have lain in a borrowed tomb for longer than the
four days of Lazarus' sojourn there, we, too, will have ample appetite to
partake of the Great Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
There were other differences in the personalities of Martha and Mary. Martha
had a personality of DOING constantly. She was equally beloved of the Lord; but
the spirituality of Martha was manifested in outward form of active service.
Mary was more inclined to harbor her love of Christ and His Gospel deep in the
warm and inviting chambers of her heart. She loved to sit at the feet of Jesus
and hang upon His every word. It was a food that was so rich and strengthening
to Mary. She is the Mary who is most associated with the feet of Jesus and
typifies the character of the true Church. Like Ruth, Mary found that her most
pleasant venue was at the feet of her Lord. Remember the counsel of Naomi to
her dearly beloved daughter-in-law? And it shall be, when he lieth down,
that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and
uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do.
(Ruth 3:4)
Now, without speaking a single word, Mary comes (quietly, like Ruth) to anoint
the feet of her Lord for his burial. Then took Mary a pound of ointment of
spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with
her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. Mary loved our Lord with an agape love,
and she was more than grateful for her brother Lazarus being raised from the
dead. In fact, it is only of Mary that we read of weeping at her brother's
death. The Jews then which were
with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up
hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep
there. Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down
at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had
not died. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping
which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, (John
11:31-33) Even in
deep distress, Mary falls at the feet of Jesus. Why do you suppose our Lord
groaned in the spirit? I believe it was because he saw the weeping remorse of
Mary and her little faith in knowing that Jesus could yet raise Lazarus from
the grave.
A quite revealing comment comes next that should expel any thought that Judas
was somehow forced into committing his fatal act of treachery against our
Lord Then saith one of his
disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, Why was not
this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? This
he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had
the bag, and bare what was put therein. As further evidence that
Judas was totally depraved and beyond the benefits of salvation, read the words
of our Lord: The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe
unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man
if he had not been born. Then Judas, which betrayed him,
answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said. (Matt 26:24-25)
Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she
kept this. 8 For the poor always ye have with
you; but me ye have not always."
Mary brought very expensive ointment and she not only anointed the feet of
Jesus, but His head as well according to Mark. When Judas protested, our Lord
said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she
hath wrought a good work on me. For ye have the poor with you always, and
whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. She hath
done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.
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. (Mark 14:6-9) Mary gave of her best, and her
final act of filial love was greater than any other labor she could have
previously performed. And, as our Lord has proclaimed, Mary is remembered
throughout the whole world today.
Now Martha, Mary and Lazarus LIVED in that place with Christ in their hearts,
but many GUESTS came out of a mere curiosity over the miracle of Lazarus' being
raised. Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they
came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he
had raised from the dead. A lesson herein is the principle of faith that
Jesus ABIDES in our hearts and does not come as a sometime guest. The True
worshipper is not a guest, but a member of God's household.
There were others who came for less honorable purposes - even out of wicked and
spiteful hearts! But the chief
priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; Because that by
reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus. What a
strong lesson is presented in these last two verses! The casual believer (such
as those who came merely to see an oddity) are far less dangerous than the
formal religionists who seek power, money, and prestige from their office. Such
were the very men of whom we would expect much better - the chief priests! They
populate the greater number of pulpits in America today.
Rather than coming to celebrate the restoration to life of Lazarus, these
scoundrels came with the view of putting Lazarus back in the grave! As we see
today in the Levant of Syria and Iraq (ISIS), religion gone awry (as are all
such false religions) is far worse than no religion at all. The same is
happening in churches across America every worship day. They sweep the Word
(our Lord) under the carpet and teach the fables and imaginations of men.
Murder of innocent babies in their mother's womb becomes blessed by these false
professors along with a direct refutation of the Holy Estate of Matrimony as
set forth at Eden's Creation. Giving respectability to homosexual marriage is
the same as denying the Church is the Bride of Christ. If you find yourself in
such a church, you have no other option but to flee to the sanctuary of Christ
and His Bible.
