![]() Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. ![]() Only in this account is the woman identified as Mary, with the earlier reference in John 11:1–2 establishing her as the sister of Martha and Lazarus. As the 17th century Welsh commentator Matthew Henry notes, "Mary added no more, as Martha did but it appears, by what follows, that what she fell short in words she made up in tears she said less than Martha, but wept more." Anointing of Jesus Ī narrative in which Mary of Bethany plays a central role is the anointing of Jesus, an event reported in the Gospel of John in which a woman pours the entire contents of an alabastron of very expensive perfume over the feet of Jesus. In speaking with Jesus, both sisters lament that he did not arrive in time to prevent their brother's death: "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." But where Jesus' response to Martha is one of teaching, calling her to hope and faith, his response to Mary is more emotional: "When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. This portrayal of the sisters agrees with that found in Luke 10:38–42." When Mary meets Jesus, she falls at his feet. As one commentator notes, "Martha, the more aggressive sister, went to meet Jesus, while quiet and contemplative Mary stayed home. Martha goes immediately to meet Jesus as he arrives, while Mary waits until she is called. In the account of the raising of Lazarus, Jesus meets with the sisters in turn: Martha followed by Mary. This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair." The mention of her sister Martha suggests a connection with the woman named Mary in Luke 10:38-42. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. The identification of this being the same Mary in both incidents is given explicitly by the author: "Now a man named Lazarus was sick. In the Gospel of John, a Mary appears in connection to two incidents: the raising from the dead of her brother Lazarus and the anointing of Jesus. The Eastern Orthodox Church has its own traditions regarding Mary of Bethany's life beyond the gospel accounts.īiblical references Gospel of John Martha preparing the meal while (in the background) Mary of Bethany sitting at Jesus' feet painting (1566) by Joachim Beuckelaer In Eastern Christianity and some Protestant traditions, Mary of Bethany and Mary Magdalene are also considered separate persons. After the liturgical revision in 19, the feast of Mary Magdalene continues to be on 22 July, while Mary of Bethany is celebrated as a separate saint, along with her siblings Lazarus and Martha on 29 July. This influenced the Roman Rite liturgy of the feast of Mary Magdalene, with a Gospel reading about the sinful woman and a collect referring to Mary of Bethany. Western Christianity initially identified Mary of Bethany with Mary Magdalene and the sinful woman of Luke 7 ( Luke 7:36–50). Together with her siblings Lazarus and Martha, she is described as living in the village of Bethany, a small village in Judaea to the south of the Mount of Olives near Jerusalem. Mary of Bethany is a biblical figure mentioned by name in the Gospel of John and probably the Gospel of Luke in the Christian New Testament. Patroness of Spiritual Studies, Lectors and Commentators in the Philippines Woman holding an alabaster jar of perfume ( myrrh) and holding her hair ![]() The Holy Monastery of Martha and Mary in Al-Eizariya ( Bethany), Palestine Christ in the House of Martha and Mary, Johannes Vermeer, before 1654–1655, oil on canvas ( National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh) – Mary is seated at the feet of Jesus ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |