Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1917-04-18
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson Iv.-Second Quarter, For
April u, 1917.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

Mark xiv, 5-Commentary rrsPaso
BY Rev. D. N. Steavns.
The passover referred to in verse
was the last one ere He laid down
His life as Christ our passover sacri-
feed for us and concerning which He
said. IT have heartily desired to eat
this passover With you before suffer
Il Cor. v, I; Luke xii, Is. margin).
Only six days before that the events OF
this evening transpired. He is again
in the home In Bethany to which He
loved to come, and they made Him a
supper at which Martha served, aud
Mary must surely have helped, too. as
well as doing the other great thing
recorded in our lesson. Lazarus, who
had been three or four days In para
disc, was there, too. but We have no
record Of any utterance from him after
his return. 1t must have been with
him, as with Paul, that 1t was not
possible for him to utter what he had
seen and heard Oh Cor. XII. 4. margin).
Mary. whose custom was to sit at His
feet and hear His word whenever she
could find the opportunity. had evil
IDENTIFY taken it into her heart that be-
cause Of the cruel death He was to
suffer no friends could be near Him at
that time and had therefore obtained
some very costly ointment Of spikenard
with which to anoint Him beforehand
If she should find opportunity. The
occasion had now come and she was
ready for it He will never fail to pro
vide the opportunity for those who de-
sire to minister to Him.
Putting the accounts in Matthew.
Mark and John together we learn that
she poured the ointment on His head
and on His feet and wiped His feet
with her hair Because Luke does not
mention this amounting. but does speak
of an amounting and feet washing with
tears In the house of a certain Simon
by a woman who was sinner. some
have thought that Luke described this
amounting by Mary. but the incidents
are wholly different. at different time
In His ministry and under altogeth her
different circumstances. The name of
the woman in the incident in Luke IL
not given. and we have no reason TO
give her name. The Lord has left
her unnamed Let us also do so. while
we thank God for her salvation Re
turning to the incident of our lesson,
We note that the house was filed with
the odor of the ointment verse 81. We
N of ba s,yaaf that tiIlal
the holy place where priests minis
tered to the Lord day by day, and we
remember that the sacrifice of Christ
Himself was unto God an odor of
sweet smell. and our service unto Him
is spoken OF in the same words tEph
v, Ii, r. v: Phil ". lSl.
1t should greatly cheer us to know
that He looks upon our ministry in this
way. He who reads the heart spoke
Of Mary's ministry as good work
wrought on Him and an amounting OF
His body beforehand for His burial
and added that wherever the gospe!
should be preached In all the world
this would be her memorial MARK xiv.
69,. Judas and some OF the Others
were indignant and said. ITO what
purpose Is this waste? THIS ointment
might have been sold for more than
800 pence and given to the poor" Judas
cared not for the poor but he was
the treasurer and thief verses Az:
Matt. XVI. s. 8; Mark xiv. 4. 81 We
are not surprised at his finding fault.
but it seems unlike true disciples to
call anything done for the Lord
waste. Yet there are many protested
followers today who seem to think il
all right TO spend all they wish OH
themselves. but to give to the Lord by
their eyes at least Improbable. How
comforting IL must have been to Mary
to have Him say. Let her alone: she
hath done what she couid.' MARX xiv.
6-S., In much service for Him we
may not have the approval OF the lead
ers in church work. but IL He approves
that is all we should desire taking a.
our motto II Tim. H. IL. with the stand
taken by Paul in Gal. |. 10: The~s ii
4. 1t Is most interesting to note that
Mary of Bethany was the only woaian
who anointed His body for burial OH
er women bought spices for thar pur
pose when II was too late. but never
used them. for He had risen when
they reached the tomb Luke xiii ~
90; xiv. l-3,. Nicodemus prov itied
about a hundred pounds weight oF
myrrh and aloes. in which he aud io
seph wrapped up the body when the,
lovingly laid it in the new sepulsher
In the garden. wherein was never man
yet laid tJohn xix. 3S-42J
In Martha. Mary and Lazarus on This
occasion may be seen by combining
them what well rounded Christian
life ought to he In Martha there l.
quiet ministry without being cumberedi;
In Mary the worship OF true and he
lieving devotion. which Is always cost
Iy. for even David said. Il win not
offer unto the Lord my God that which
doth cost me nothing III Sam. xiv.
"a, In Lazarus there is the power IT
q rpsturQstit, life bpcausa nv raasou