Would You Like To Help Me?

I was asked a couple days ago to substitute teach in the Gospel Doctrine class in Sunday School this coming week on the topic "Woe unto you ... Hypocrites".  The scriptures referred to in this lesson include:

John 12:1-8, 12:12-18

Matt 21:1-11, 21:23-46, 22:15-46, 23, 26:6-13

Mark 11-12, 14:3-9

Luke 11:37-51, 19:29-48, 20

The teacher's helps for the lesson encouraging reading each passage at least three times.  It encourages:  "The first time, read it [each passage] to comprehend what the passages contain.  Then study it more carefully, looking for principles, doctrines, and significant events.  Then read it again, determining which passages will best meet class members' needs and planning ways to discuss those passages.

I hope to write my notes as I do this here, sharing them with you.  Will you help me by reading, pondering, and praying about them too, then sharing insights you receive as a comment here?

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I have one to share now as a start.  John 12:1-8 tells the story of Jesus travelling to Bethany, where Martha served him supper.  Lazarus, whom Jesus previously had raised from the dead, sat at the table with him.  Mary then took a pound of ointment of spikenard and anointed Jesus' feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair as she did this.

The Bible Dictionary tells us that spikenard is a very aromatic liquid derived from the root of a tree.  I am thinking that a pound of it would probably fill a pint bottle, so Mary used it freely as she anointed Jesus' feet.  It was enough that the entire room was filled with the exotic odor of this expensive fragrance.

I am touched with Mary's use of her hair to wipe his feet rather than any type of cloth.  I imagine she had to wipe her tears in addition to the spikenard from his feet, so filled was she with gratitude for her Savior and the opportunity to give this service to Him.

Judas, the same who would soon betray Jesus, was also in the room and objected to what he viewed as an unnecessary extravagance.  We are told in verse 6 that "he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein".  A cross-reference here to John 13:29 indicates that Judas had this bag when at the Last Supper.  Judas appears to have been the money-keeper of the Twelve, using what was there for their needs and to give to the poor.  Judas, a hypocrite, would have rather had additional money in the bag than to have freely used the spikenard for Mary's anointing.

One other verse, the seventh, fascinates me here.  It seems clear that the Twelve had very little, if any, understanding of what was about to happen to Jesus, or its significance.  That understanding came later for them.  Yet Jesus in verse 7 says to Judas, "Let her alone, against the day of my burying hath she kept this."  I believe this indicates Mary did know and understand. 

Mary was a remarkable woman.