The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1900-12-28
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON |, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, JAN. g.

memory verses, AA~As--EOAuenfA Text
Mark xiv, S-Commentary Prepared
by the Rev. d. NJ. stearns.
| copyright, 1900, by American Press Asso-
ciation.l
6. Now when Jesus was in Bethany,
in the house Of Simon the leper." The
lessons of this quarter take us with
| Christ in His last week before His cruel
fxion. The events recorded by Matthew
from chapter xxi follow in point Of time
this record of the amounting at Bethany.
| The parallel passages are Mark xiv, $40;
John xii. Is. The previous verse in our
lesson says that the Jews decided that
He should not be slain during the feast
| Or. V.) but, as our Passover, it was the
purpose Of God that He should die at
that time How was it brought about
contrary to the determination Of the
Jews? DR.. Weston says that it was this
loving act of Mary, told by Matthew out
of its chronological place, which caused
the plans of the sanhedrin to fail and
the purpose of God to be accomplished.
| See his notes for further comment.
Z. "There came unto Him woman
| having an alabaster box of very precious
ointment" John says that they had
made Him supper, and Martha served,
and Lazarus was one Of them at the Ia
Bile, and Mary anointed His feet and
| wiped them with her hair. Matthew and
| Mark say that she anointed His head.
Tie alabaster box of ointment and the
amounting of His feet have probably led
some to think this the same as the anoint-
ing of Luke vii, $3.50, but that was
wholly different occasion and by an I'M
named woman in the house of Pharisee.
| s, 8. "But when His disciples saw it
| they had Indignation" What a strange
| thing human nature is even in a disciple
We could not imagine that these chosen
ones would think anything waste that
wae dsaS s. 7sssF EFex5+ aut perhaps they
were led on by Judas, who, being thief,
| thought only of getting money in the
| treasury that he might pilfer therefrom
/ John xii, @. There are many now who
bear His name who consider large gifts
to missions as rather waste than other
wise. But think of such as John, if he
| took part, murmuring against such de-
| voted one as Mary.
! 10. "Why trouble we the woman? For
she hath wrought good work upon Me-"
Mark and John add that He said ALSO
"Let her alone" How precious is the
| Masters approval, how restful His bless
ed words! What does it matter who or
how many find fault if we are only we'll
! pleasing unto Him? Good works in the
sight of God are not always approved
| even by Christians. If believers as o.
whole, had a 1.-THE of the devotion Of
| Mary, what an overlooking treasury there
would he for the Lords work. If pen
ny represents a days wages (Math. Xxx
p, Mary's gift represented nearly n
| years wages of a laboring man, but hnv
few would think of giving even a IS
earnings to the Lord Not long aa at
one of the classes a trained nurse handed
me roll of bills $3.50, saying: "That is
my weeks wages. Please send it to the
famine people in India" That must
have been as precious ointment to our
2ord.
j II, H. "She did it for My burial" or
according to Mark, "She is come afore-
hand to anoint My body to the burying."
John says, Against the day of Ny bury
! ing hath she kept this" Although He
had so often spoken plainly of His death
and resurrection, the disciples never re-
ceived it, but thought only of His re-
storing at that time the kingdom to Is
rael. Mary, who sat at His feet and
heard His word duke K, 39), simply be-
! lieved what He said and understood that
and that she would therefore, with all
His friends, be deprived of the privilege
of ministering to Him at His death or
burial "The poor shall never cease out
of the land" and "He that hath pity
upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord"
! (Deut XIV, IL; Prov. xix, 10, but such
an opportunity as this had never come to
mortal before and never would again,
and Mary of Bethany is the only one to
see it,
13. "This, that this woman hath DONE
shall be told for memorial of her." He
said it would go with the gospel into all
the world and emphasized it by His "Ver-
lily, say unto you" What wonderful
Identification with Himself is given to
her in that wherever the glorious gospel
of God concerning His Son should be
| ted this act of hers would In connection
with Him be memorial of herl Ac-
/ cording to Mark He said of her, "She
hath done what she could" While many
are wasting breath and time telling what
they would do if they could some are do
ing what they can, remembering that it is
written, IF there be first a willing mind,
| it is accepted according to that man
hath, and not according to that he hath
not" and that God only expects us to
1 minister us OIL Ine aDHllN Wulcn lie CIV
eth III Cor. viii, -; | Pet iv, IL. Let
us as God enables us show, often post
norton kindness. some kindness to the
living for His sake, and He will count it
as il done to Himself and not forget it
tMath. x. Al, 42).
Lille. From that time he sought OPP
portunity to betay Him" He, Judas
| Iscariot, was numbered with the twelve
1 bad equal privileges. was appointed treas
urcr. yet he was thief and devil John
| Vi, 70) In Mary and Judas we see light
and darkness. heaven and hell How
great the contrast. Where do you stand
OF how near to either side? Speaking OF
Mary's act helping TO bring about the
crucifixion Of Christ at the Passover
contrary to the determination Of the
Jews, DIR Weston says "In two re-
Spects this act excited the anger and in
dignation Of Judas One is the lavish
waste as he viewed it. Of the money OK
pended for the purchase of the ointment.
which is spoken Of as very costly very
| precious
"Ihe other was the evident certainty
Of the coming death Of Christ. Stirred to
the utmost by these manifestations of the
nature of the kingdom which Christ had
| IN view and of the method by which the
kingdom was to come, his determination
was formed. He FASTENED to the sanhe-
drin and bargained with them to deliver
Christ into their hands without the
knowledge of the multitude (Matthew,
| at. -. ~