Mark 14:1-3. After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death. But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people. And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper,
A well-known person. There were plenty of Simons, and so they had to put another name to distinguish him. You remember Simon the Pharisee, in whose house Christ was anointed by a woman, who washed his feet with tears. This is another Simon. Not Simon the Pharisee, but Simon the Leper.
A healed man, no doubt, or he could not have entertained guests. There can be no question by whom he was healed; for there was nobody else that could heal leprosy, except our Divine Lord. «And being at Bethany in the house of Simon the Leper.»
Mark 14:3. As he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.
It does not want any «it,» «poured on his head.» The liquid nard flowed over his locks, and, as it was with Aaron, it went, doubtless, down his beard to the utmost skirts of his garments.
Mark 14:4. And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made?
Matthew says that they were disciples. Shame upon them. The ointment was put to its proper use. It was more wasted when it was in the box than when it was out of it, for it was doing nothing inside the alabaster box. But when it came out, it was answering its purpose. It was perfuming all round about. «Why was this waste of the ointment made?» When lives are lost in Christ's honour, or strength is spent in his service there is no waste. It is what life and strength are made for that they may be spent for him.
Mark 14:5-6. For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her. And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me.
Or «in me.»
Mark 14:7. For ye have the poor with you always,
If you help them one day, they are poor, and they want helping the next. Or if you help them and leave them, leaving them because they go home to God, there are other poor people sure to come, for they will never cease out of the land. «Ye have the poor with you always.»
Mark 14:7. And whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.
«Ye can only do this for me during the few days that I shall be with you.
Within a week I shall be crucified. Forty more days I shall be gone from you. Me ye have not always.»
Mark 14:8-9. She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. Verily I say unto you, 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.
And it is so to this day. Christ's gospel is preached tonight, and this woman's love will be remembered. John also speaks of this in his 12 th chapter.
This exposition consisted of readings from John 8:29-59; Mark 14:1-9; John 12:1-7.