Let her alone....
Mark 14:6-9
And they murmured against her and Jesus said Let her alone why do you trouble her? She has wrought a good work on me For you have the poor with you always and whensoever you will you may do them good but me you have not always She has done what she could She is come beforehand to anoint my body to the burying Truly I say to you Wherever this good news shall be preached throughout the whole world this also that she has done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her
Comments: Mark 14:3-9 We know from the other gospels that the host of the dinner, Simon the Leper, was likely Judas’ father. We know that Martha served at the dinner, though it was not held at her home. It appears it was her sister, Mary, who crashed the party with the Alabaster Box, anointing Jesus’ head with very expensive oil, which she would have purchased with her own money.
This passage is almost identical to LUKE 7:36-50 which has added details. In Luke, Jesus identified the hosting Pharisee as Simon, who, along with others, objected to the “waste.” So, we know that greedy Judas was likely the son of a Pharisee, as well as being the son of a leper
John 11:1-2: Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus
John 12:1-9 Same as all the others, esp., John 11:1-2, w/added details
Concerning Judas: “Escariot” was not his last name; it indicated where he was from. The Greek word Is-kariōth [G2469] is a compound word of Hebrew and Aramaic origins iysh-qirya' (iysh [man] of qirya' [the city]).
**Point of Interest: It was not Mary the Magdalene who crashed Simon the Leper’s dinner party, and Magdalene was not Mary’s last name, any more than Nazarene was Jesus’ last name. It simply identified the city she was from, Magdala. Mary was known as Mary the Magdalene to differentiate her from all the other “Miriams,” which was a common name in Israel, just as Jesus—Joshua (Yehoshua/Yeshua)—was known as Jesus the Nazarene and in the Greek texts, “The” Jesus.
It appears that Judas was a resident of Bethany, where the dinner was held. Two of the gospels record this dinner as taking place in the home of Simon the Leper. The account in John says Judas was Simon’s son. It is likely Judas’ father was the same Simon that hosted the dinner in Mark’s account and the other gospel accounts. Judas was present at the dinner.
Everyone knows Judas had issues, and it is possible that some of them came from being the son of a leper—albeit one who was obviously a high-standing and respected Pharisee. We know this because, as a leper, though Simon would have sat separately from the others, he was not an outcast, something which was unusual for lepers of that time.
We know that Judas was greedy, and, it appears, jealous. Had he been secretly simmering over Jesus’ closeness with Peter and the Sons of Thunder, so prominently featured in the gospels? Among the twelve, John even referred to himself as the disciple whom “Jesus loved.” How would greedy and envious Judas have taken that?
The Bible says Jesus was delivered up for envy. Out of envy, the Pharisees were willing to pay what would have been considered a good deal of money in their day. For that amount, Judas was willing to sell his soul. He betrayed the Messiah for thirty pieces of silver. That would have been approximately $340 in today’s value. All things considered, a paltry sum.
Comparing the gospel accounts, it is doubtful that there were two Alabaster Box incidents, so that leaves Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, who plausibly caused the scene during the dinner at Simon the Leper’s home. Women were unlikely to be at the table, and from all appearances, she crashed the party.
At least, that’s what the report and subsequent town gossip would have been if Jesus hadn’t celebrated the “debacle” and turned Mary into what would quickly become a world-famous celebrity among followers of THE WAY, and, after their time, for as long as the world exists.
Ask any Christian if they know about the woman with the alabaster box. Virtually all will say yes. She is still being spoken of and written about today. Bards sing about her. Songs continue to be written about her. She’s a prominent figure in Christianity. Her love and boldness for Jesus, her distain for unjust tradition concerning a “woman’s place”, made her eminent among all Believers.
Mary’s actions that night took Judas over the top with anger and greed.
Was Judas a believer in Jewish tradition and the place of women? If that was the case, he had spent the past three-and one-half years being vexed to no end by Jesus’ tolerance of women refusing to stay in their “place.” And being the son of a leper, was he angry that Jesus had not healed his father? Simon was obviously a follower, else why would he host a dinner where Jesus and his disciples were invited—probably the featured guests—and where Martha, the sister of Lazarus was serving? Whatever his reasons, there is no doubt Mary’s party-crashing scene, and Jesus’ handling of it, was a catalyst in Judas’ choice cahoot with the Pharisees to destroy Jesus.
At the dinner, Jesus also took opportunity—once again—to raise the status of women, who had suffered so long, so wrongly, and in so many ways under Jewish tradition.
In their doctrine that women should be unassuming, remain quiet and in the background, assisting men but never leading, complementarianism agrees with ancient Jewish traditions, and virtually every other ancient (and some contemporary) cultural tradition.
In Jesus’ day, Martha appeared to go along with this, but Mary refused—at least twice. And Jesus backed her both times, elevating her status, and, by extrapolation, the status of all women. Jesus recognized Mary, the sister of Martha, as a prominent figure in the Ek-Klesia that he was building.
Mary was a leader. Unafraid to publicly proclaim and worship her Messiah, taking her rightful place at Jesus’ feet—where according to custom, women were forbidden—blazing the trail for all women to take their rightful places at the feet of their Savior. And Jesus backed her up in this.
Jesus told the men who murmured against her to let her alone. He tells complementarian men today, and all men who call themselves by his name, to Let her alone.
When Jesus walked the earth, there was a reason why so many women left their homes and, right along with the twelve, followed him, supporting him with their means. They weren’t all married women following their husbands. There was a reason that Jesus, in his teachings, never showed any sign that he was complementarian, … because he wasn’t.
Jocelyn Andersen writes and speaks on a variety of topics including Bible Prophecy, Christian response to domestic violence and God and Women. Her work has been featured in magazines, newspapers, radio, and television. She is open to requests for writing assignments and speaking engagements.
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