The National tribune., 1889-05-02

study the paragraph from the Holy Scriptures as
Indicated above
SUBJECT: THE AMOUNTING OF CHRIST BY
MARY, THE SISTER OF LAZARUS.
1. Data.
There are three accounts: 1. That by st.
Matthew, (26: 613) 2. By ST. Mark, "a: 3-9)
g. By st. John, (12:29 IL: p St. Luke failed
to mention this incident. One finds great profit
if he study all the data. SITS. Matthew and
Mark wrote at Rome, A. d. 90, or 81 years after
the facts occurred which they reported. st.
John wrote at Ephesus, A. D. 81, or sc years
after the amounting.
g Time.
This amounting took place on Saturday even
ing, March 13, A. d. 90. By Jewish reckoning,
according to which days began at 6 o'clock
evenings, the incident occurred on their Sun
day. Only four days interviewed between
Mary's lovely act and the crueifers hOrrid
cruelty The burial, referred to in ST. Matthew
". 49, ST. Mark (Y. 81, and st. John (V.7), took
place on Friday evening (St. Matt, 27 80 CO.,
The event happened 1860 years ago, and we
see how the prophecy of Christ has been full
filed to the effect that this incident would be
told always and everywhere. (See st. Matt,
26:13.)
3. Waere.
The amounting took place in Bethany, the
home Of Lazarus, Mary and Martha. Bethany
is a village two miles east from Jerusalem, the
Mt of Olives intervening. The scene Of our
study was the dining-roo of the home of
Simon the leper. That place was distant only
about three miles from Chrst's place of burial.
4. Host.
The name of the person entertaining Christ
when the amounting took place was Simon. He
was called the leper. 1t is not unlikely he had
been afflicted with leprosy and was one of those
whom Christ restored from that disease. Very
probably he got up the entertainments out OF
gratitude to the Savior, inviting some of the
particular friends of Christ living in Bethany.
OF course Simon was not ieper at the time he
gave the supper. All laws and presidents for
babe victim of said loathsome disease being
in the company of the healthy. Those thus
afflicted were driven from society. 1t is there
fore quite certain he had been recovered to
health by our Savior. This fact illustrates st.
John, 81 %. The calling Simon a leper after
the cure was only like calling st. Matthew the
publican long after he resigned that office. Adam
Clark thought the surname of Simon was Leper,
so that the full name of the host was Simon
Leper. So we might to-day say Mr.. VIM. Fever,
or Miss Mary Cancer. The supper is proof of
the hospitable spirit of the man, and will for
ever be a memorial to Simon.
5. The Ointment
The art of manufacturing perfumes is ancient.
use of various odiferous ointments, scented
waters, understanding salts, was quito rage.
Earlier still France set the fashion. Probably
there are over so perfume manufacturing estab-
| lishments in London and not less than 100 IN
| Paris. The ointment referred To in the lesson
was an aromatic basam from tree or plant.
| Myrrh was without doubt specially the feature
| in Mary's ointment. From the fact of its hay
ing been poured out, (St. Matt, 26:7,) we may
| infer it was a liquid, or quite thin Mary's
| ointment was very precious" (St. Matt,
| 26:7 st. Mark, 14:3.) st. John declares it
was very costly" 12:3 It was of spike
nard." (St. Mark, II: 3, and St. John, II 81
| TWAS doubtless the most pure kind, and hence
most expensive. Spikensrd means a spike or
| ear of nard. The ointment was made from the
spikes or blades of nard. Nard is plant highly
! valued by the anciepts. 1t was employed for
| medicine and luxury. 1t has very fragrant
| odor. 1t grows specially in India, and has
| long, slender stalk. 1t does not rank as large
/ plant. Some grows in Palestine, but it is of an
inferior quality. 1t is found in tufts or cumps,
! rising like tall grass. 1t is common in Asia
| Minor, and in Bhotan and Nepaul on the Hima-
| laya Mountains. Greeks and Romans mention
| it as being from the banks of the Ganges.
| Much of what we call spikenard is from the
jatamansee plant in India Grateful as was
the odor of spkenard to the ancients. it is not
agreeable to the European and American. Only
y
| letter of invitation to Virgil, requested him TO
bring with him small vial of spikeuard, and
promised in return to give him cask OF wine.
! (See Ode, iv, 12.)
The ointment was contained in an alabaster
| box, or rather in VIAL flask, vase or cruise.
| Alabaster is stone yieldabie to easy manipula-
| tion pellucid, resembling glass. LayaFd found
among the ruins of Nineveh white alabaster
vases for holding ointments and cosmetics. We
may class alabaster with stone or marble. 1t
is generally very white and clear. Sometimes
there are shades Of yellow, red, gray. When
| plaster-of-paris is variegated, or of fine white
appearance, it is called alahaster. Being easily
| worked up it is wrought into vases, TASKS and
such like articles. When formed the articles
seem as though composed of glass. In vessels
made ofalabaster people of early days preserved
! their odiferous liquids, perfumes and ONT
| ments.
Mary's ointment was very valuable. ST. Mat
thew says it could have been sold for much"
| CO. 81 st. Mark declares it might have been
sold for more than 800 pence" (14:5.) st.
John states it would have brought at sale 800
pence. We have no exact measure for the
value of pence. We may put the total cost
of the ointment at, say, $40. None but st.
John gives the quantity of the nard in the
box. He says there was one pound. I2: 81
We are to understand Troy weight, or three
fourths pound ayoirdup0is. The cruise must
hence have been quite large Many students
think Mary used only portion OF her ONT
ment when at the supper in Simon's house,
reserving the rest till Christ's DEATH We read
that on Sunday morning the same Mary went
to Christ's tomb carrying sweet spices, etc, to
anoint the body of Jesus. 1t is certain that
the use of one pound for amounting Christ at
the table would seem too much.
In getting at the real value of the ointment
used by Mary we shall receive help if we take
into consideration the differences in the prices
of wages then and now. 1t was worth 800
pence or denarii. In those days laboring
man received only one denarius for his daily
wages. Hence the value of the ointment would
be equivalent to 800 days of labor. Calculating
the price now received for days work at
$3.50, the ointment was worth $3.50. We
know the price paid in those times and places
was but one denarius each day. We learn the
fact in ST. Matt, 20 2, where we are told q
| householder hired number of laborers, agree
ing to pay each one denarius per day. har-
vestman would have had to work 800 days, or
nearly ono year. in order to pay for tue pound
of ointment. 1t is said that the pay in the
year 1852 to haymakers of England was one
penny day.
6. The Act.
While our Savior was reclining at the table
of Simon, after the Oriental manner, which re-
sembled lying posture much as one assumes
when extended on lounge or couch, Mary
/ IS aln1h h..