The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-04-15
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INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM.
MEN,rS FOR APRIL 10. .

Subject: Jesus Amounted at Bethany,
John 12:1-11 - Golden Text,
John 4:19-Commit Verse 5
Commentary OF the Lesson.
TIME.-Friday evening, March 81,
80 A. D. PLACE.-House OF Simon
the leper. Bethany.
EXPOSITION. Mary Of Beth.
any Uniustly Criticised by Jesus Dis.
ciples, 10. We are now within six
days of Jesus last passover. 1t might
appear from the account in Matthew
that this supper was two days before
the passover. but Matthew and Mark
bring this feast in after mentioning
the conspiracy Of the chief priests
and elders, because the incident OF
the feast led Judas to his final deter.
mination to sell his Master to His
enemies and is thus connected with .
the plots of the Jewish leaders. This
lesson throws a holy light upon home
life and the way in which Christ re-
CARDS it. Jesus does not forget In
these supreme hours of His life the
friends He loved. Martha and Mary
and Lazarus. He will have for Hia
own hearts Joy, and still more for /
the confirmation of their faith, q few
more times of communion with them
To bring them some further spiritual
gift He came to Bethany. There is
something inexpressibly touching In
those evenings at Bethany during
during the last week Of our Saviour's
life on earth. He came for another
purpose also, to nurture that flame OF
faith that had been kindled in the
hearts Of many by the resurrection
of Lazarus. We read in the beginning
of Jesus ministry, how, having per-
formed His first miracle at Cana and
faith being awakened. He afterward
came back to Cana to quicken and
,nourish and strengthen that faith
(ch. 4:54). So here Jesus, comes
back to Bethany for a similar pur.
pose. Jesus did not awaken faith and
then leave 1t to languish acd die.
But the principal purnose of this visit
was communion with Martha and
Mary and Lazarus. Jesus Christ,
while He was very God Of very
Cod" was also a very real a He
was our brother. The way in which
Bethany is spoken of by John Is
worthy of note. Where Lazarus
was. whom Jesus raised from the
dead" Bethany was a little village.
but it had a title of dignity; there was
a r~esurrected man there. There was
no one else at the gathering who
brought such Joy to the aching heart
of Jesus as did Mary. She above all
others had listened to Him, under
stood Him, believed and loved. Out
of the wealth of her love she had
purchased at a cost Of ffty-one dol
lars "a large sum in those days, her
whole t%reasure) an alabaster cruise OF
ointment and put it aside to use 1t
upon Him when the proper moment
came. She had understood what none,
of the rest had, that He was actually
to die and be buried. She had not
sat at His feet in vain (Luke 10:39).
Mary had not stopped to calculate the
cost of the ointment and whether she
might not better save part Of her
money for future needs. Love never
calculates, it gives all. Mary's uncal-
culating love of Jesus proved q safer
guide to conduct than the calculating
prudence of Judas and the rest of the.
disciples (cf. Matt. $3.50.
II. Mary of Bethany Commended
by Jesus Himself, I'll. Jesus praised
when His disciples criticised. He
told the critics that they had the poor
always with them and whatsoever
they will they could do them good
mark 14:D. There was a prick in
this for their consciences. He told
them further that what was to be-
done for Him must be done at once.
So it must be to-day. Upon Mary's
act He bestowed the highest possible
"She hath done what she
could" INK. 14:S). That is all Christ
asks of any one e Cor. SID. Mary
was not looking for fame when she.
performed this act, but she got fame
immortal. Jesus bestowed such COM
upon her as He bestowed
upon no other, and His wonderful
prediction concerning her Matt.
26:13) has been literally fulfilled.
Martha was taken up with her service.
Lazarus was in part taken up with h1s
but Mary vas wholly
taken up with Jesus Himself. And
she is the one of whom the Lord
said, ''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" 1t would be pleasing to our
Lord if we, in this busy, bustling age,
and this age, too, OF spiritual feasts,
were more taken up with Himself
than with our services or our expert
ences. Mary's love was utterly for
getful of itself, forgetful Of surround
ings, uncalculating Of cost, regardless
of criticism. 1t poured itself ou ut
terly. The fragrance of it has filled
the world as even the fragrance OF
her ointment filled the house. Whence .
this love? Mary had understood a
message that apparently no one else
grasped, certainly none of the apos-
ties as yet. She understood that
Jesus was about to die for her ". Z,
R. w.. Judas vas stung to the
quick by the gentle rebuke of Jesus
Matt. 26:l4). He hurries to Jesus
enemies to strike a bargain with them
for the betrayal of his Lord. He
seeks to get back part of the money
he had lost by Mary's not putting the
300 pieces into the bag. He comes in
lust as the priests are plotting Jesus
destruction and the bargain is soon
closed. Contrast these two pictures:
Mary spending her all to anoint her
Saviour for His burial, Judas selling
Him for a paltry sum of money.