The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1906-10-26
THE LESSON

LESSON TEXT-Matt 2s:S-l6. Memory
! GOLDEN TEXT.-"she hath wrought q
good work upon me. Matt. 26:1O
TlME.-The Saturday evening previous
! TO our last lesson, the evening Of the
| Jewish Sabbath, April l, A ID. 30.
PLACE.-Bethany, on the Mount OF
! Olives, at the house of Simon, who hao
| been leper
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
! V. 6. In the house OF Simon the
leper." 1t is commonly supposed that
| this man, of whom nothing further is
! known, had been healed of his disease
| by Jesus.
V. Z. There came unto him WON
an" Jesus, with other male guests,
was reclining at the table, when Mary,
the sister of Lazarus and Martha,
came to him "Alabaster box" A
bottle, or cruise, made of the rare and
| delicate alabaster. Very precious
ointment" The other accounts tell
us that this ointment was the rare and
costly spikenard distilled from an
odorous plant which grew in the far
east, and mingled with OIL making a
rich perfume unknown to modern
chemists. In quantity it was pound
that is II ounces. Poured it on
his head" Also upon his feet (John)
and in her eagerness to lavish every
drop upon her beloved, perhaps she
crushed the fragile jar MARK. She
also wiped his feet with her hair
(John) The practice of amounting the
person with perfumed oils was as com
mon among the Hebrews as among
other oriental peoples.
V. s. His disciples had -indigna
ton Judas was the spokesman, but
the other apostles joined him in con.
demning Mary's lavish expenditure.
V. 8. Might have been sold for
much" It's value was estimated by
Judas at 300 pence; that is, about SIS.
Given TO the poor" This was Judas
suggestion, made, not because he
cared for the poor, but because as
treasurer of the little band he would
have had opportunity TO purloin some
portion of the money entrusted to
him.
Y. 10. When Jesus understood"
Jesus perceived that some actually
condemned Mary's beautiful deed. 1t,
of course, panied Mary to be criticised
by good men for whom she had great
esteem, and Jesus reproved them say
ing, why trouble We the woman? for
she hath wrought a good work" The
apostles thought Mary had wasted her
ointment.
" II. "Ye have the poor always
with you" At that day, and in every
day and land since, there have been
abundant opportunities for Jesus
friends to help the poor. He recog-
nizes this service as done unto him
Matt 25:31-46) But me We have
not always" Only a few days longer
would the friends of Jesus have to ex-
press their loving devotion to his per.
son.
V. IL. she did it for my burial" It
was customary for the Jews to anoint
the dead body for burial
V. 10. "Wheresoever this gospel
shall be preached" Wherever the good
news shall be proclaimed how God,
through the life and death of his Son,
poured out his love and life in sacri-
flee for his children, there shall the
story also be told of Mary, who poured
out her dearest treasure to express
her love to Jesus. I'm the whole
world" Jesus poured out his life for
all mankind, and he foresaw that this
good news would be proclaimed
throughout the world.
V. IA. Then" Very soon after this
feast Judas Iscariot" Judas of
KeriOth, the only one of the apostolic
band who was not a Galilean. He had
enjoyed the advantage of intimate
companionship with Jesus for three
years, but his avaricious heart had
not been won to love the loving One
Went unto the chief priests" The
priests, of whom Caiaphas was the
leader, had determined to seize Jesus
and put him ont Of the way. They