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John 12:1-11
 | Reading the Text:
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| Historical References, Commentary and
Comparative Texts:
 | The
Five Gospels Parallels, John W. Marshall, University of Toronto. |
| XXXIX.1-2, 4-11,
15; Tatian's Diatessaron
(c. 150-160). |
| II.XXII.3, Adversus
Haereses, Irenaeus of Lyons.
(c. 180) |
| XI.9, Commentary
on the Gospel of Matthew, Origen. (c.247) |
| From Augustine's Tractates on John: Tractate 50
(12:1-12). |
| From the Geneva Notes.
 | "A horrible example in Judas
of a mind blinded with covetousness, and yet pretending
godliness." |
|
| From
Matthew
Henry's Commentary.
| "Mary gave a token of love to
Christ, who had given real tokens of his love to her and her family.
God's Anointed should be our Anointed." |
|
| From Wesley's Notes.
| "It seems Martha was a person
of some figure, from the great respect which was paid to her and her
sister, in visits and condolences on Lazarus's death, as well as
from the costly ointment mentioned in the next verse. And probably
it was at their house our Lord and his disciples lodged, when he
returned from Jerusalem to Bethany, every evening of the last week
of his life, upon which he was now entered." |
|
| From the
Commentary on the Whole Bible
(Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, 1871).
| "The only use of [nard] was to
refresh and exhilarate--a grateful compliment in the East, amidst
the closeness of a heated atmosphere, with many guests at a feast.
Such was the form in which Mary's love to Christ, at so much cost to
herself, poured itself out." |
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| From The People's
New Testament, B.W. Johnson, 1891. |
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| Contemporary Commentary, Studies, and Exegesis:
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Comments
(commentary) and
Clippings
(technical notes for in-depth study), Chris Haslam, Anglican
Diocese of Montreal. |
|
"First
Thoughts on Year C Gospel Passages in the Lectionary: Lent 5,"
William Loader, Murdoch University, Uniting Church in Australia.
| "The unlikely ones in Mark and
John’s world, the women, become the models. This is deliberately
subversive and reflects so much of the experience of Jesus’
ministry. Others were so good, so devout, and so busy being so, that
they missed the point." |
|
|
"Are We Having Fun Yet?"
Mary Hinkle, Pilgrim Preaching:
Keeping Company with Biblical Texts and the People Who Hear and Preach Them.
|
"The best dancing is done on the devil's
dance floor. Perfect love casts out fear. It does so by offering a
security that all the carefulness in the world cannot match." |
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| Exegetical
Notes by Brian Stoffregen at CrossMarks
Christian Resources.
| "If Mary is the model
disciple, then Judas is presented as her contrast. Mary is generous.
If the ointment were worth 300 denarii, that is roughly equivalent
to a year's salary. (1 denarius was about one day's pay.) Judas is
greedy -- taking what doesn't even belong to him. Mary illustrates
her faith with actions. Judas talks piously --
"giving to the poor" -- but we know that he is not
sincere. Both "prepare" Jesus for burial -- she by the
"anointing" and he by the betrayal." |
|
|
"Anointing at Bethany and Washing of Jesus' Feet," Gospel Analysis, Sermons from
Seattle, Pastor Edward F. Markquart, Grace Lutheran Church, Seattle,
Washington. Detailed background and exegesis.
|
"Have you ever seen or experienced someone
physically caring for a loved one in preparation for that dying person's
death? Please describe that experience." |
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Jesus Now,
Lent 5C. Lectionary, study and worship resources from Faith
Futures Jesus Then & Now. |
|
Kairos CoMotion Lectionary Discussion,
John 12:1-8, Wesley White. "A place of
conversation regarding Progressive Christianity."
| "If we
can associate Jesus with the outcasts, a question for Mary is whom should
we be anointing today? Might it be the poor and would that, after all
these years, reconcile Mary and Judas?" |
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Laterally Luke, by
Brian McGowan, Anglican priest in Western Australia. |
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"Mary, Sister of
Martha & Lazarus," Sarah M.
Foulger, Stirred
by the Light - Voices of Lent. |
|
"Mary
Anoints Jesus for His Burial,"
Rev. Bryan Findlayson, Lectionary Bible
Studies and Sermons, Pumpkin Cottage Ministry Resources.
| "Christian fellowship can promote very
close male/female relationships. How do we maintain integrity in these
relationships?" |
|
|
"The Woman Who
Loved Just Right,"
Expository Essay,
John 12:1-8, Dr. William R. Long.
Part 2.
| "Mary has demonstrated that she knows
what is supremely important in life--to give of her best, with all her
heart, in an action of selfless giving, to her Lord." |
|
|
"The
House Was Filled with the Fragrance of Her Perfume,"
Jerry Goebel, One
Family Outreach. "Focus on scripture from a justice perspective." Exegesis, study, and teen study
and activities.
| "What once was an oasis for Jesus, that
helped comfort him so he could go forward, was now an oasis in John’s
memory that helped him deal with the rigors of his trials." |
|
|
"Gospel Sound Track,"
Thomas G. Long, The Christian Century, 2001.
Religion Online.
| "John is convinced that life is
double-plotted, that ordinary events unfold around us but that hidden
among all the mundane props are signs of the eternal ." |
|
| "And
the Fragrance Filled the House," exegetical notes by Peter L.
Haynes.
| "Of course, 300 denarii have
their own aroma, for good or for ill. However, the real fragrance
beginning to waft through the room is from the impending crucifixion
of Jesus, of which his disciples have caught only a faint
sniff." |
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|
Commentary by Hall
Harris at the Biblical Studies Foundation.
| "In the later rabbinic literature,
Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7.1.1 states "The fragrance of good oil is diffused
from the bedroom to the dining hall, but a good name is diffused from one
end of the world to the other." If such a saying were known in the first
century, this might be John's way of indicating that Mary's act of
devotion would be spoken of throughout the entire world (compare Mark
14:9)." |
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| Lectionary
Commentary and Preaching Paths (Lent C5), by Jirair Tashjian, at The
Christian Resource Institute.
| "One of the theological issues
raised in this passage is the interplay between the evil scheming
going on behind the scenes to bring about the death of Jesus and the
divine purpose working out in history. In the midst of the ugliness
and hostility plotted against Jesus by the powers that be, common
folk like Mary and Martha (women at that!) show hospitality to Jesus
and recognize in him the Messiah." |
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| "Having the Poor
One With You Always," analysis by Steve Kuhl, in Sabbatheology by the Crossings
Community of St Louis, Missouri.
| "...the text identifies a deeper
problem of the poor among us. It identifies the way Judas (and we) hide behind the poor,
giving the illusion of concern, but only to betray them and advance our own self-interest
(v. 6)." |
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| Articles & Background:
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"Attitudes to the Poor
in New Testament Times," Jerome H. Neyrey, S.J., University of Notre
Dame, 2002.
| "When taxes were so high, life for
peasants was at best “subsistant,” i.e., they had only several months of
food stored. The wolf was always at the door. And there was no
unemployment insurance, no social security, no medicare. The state took
the surplus of peasants and gave them nothing in return." |
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| "Judas'
Red Hair and the Jews," by Ruth Mellinkoff, at Jewish Heritage Online Magazine's
Topic of the Month: Colors. Mellinkoff explores artistic representations of Judas and
antipathy toward red hair. |
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"Moses / Jesus / Women: Does the New Testament Offer a Feminist Message?"
Esther Fuchs, Cross Currents, 1999.
|
"While the healed women prove the hero's
superiority by the fact of their miraculous recovery, destitute women
function as promoters by receiving verbal praise." |
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Articles in
ATLAS Journals. (Direct link when you are
subscribed and logged in to
ATLASerials online collection of Religion and Theology Journals.):
| Bruns, J. Edgar,
"A Note on John 12:3," The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 1966. |
| Coakley, J.F.,
"The Anointing at Bethany and the Priority of John," Journal of
Biblical Literature, 1988. |
| Eslinger, Lyle,
"Judas Game: The Biology of Combat in the Gospel of John," Journal
for the Study of the New Testament, 2000. |
| Holst, Robert,
"The One Anointing of Jesus: Another Application of the Form-Critical
Method," Journal of Biblical Literature, 1976. |
| Legault, André, C.S.C.,
"An Application of the Form-Critique Method to the Annointings in Galilee
and Bethany," The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 1954. |
| Long, Thomas G.,
"Gospel Sound Track," The Christian Century, 2001. |
| Michaels, J. Ramsey,
"Expository Article: John 12:1-11," Interpretation, 1989. |
| Simmons, Elizabeth McGregor,
"The Sense of Text: An Invitation to Lenten Preaching," Journal for
Preachers, 2004. |
| Ross, J.M.,
"Some Unnoticed Points in the Text of the New Testament," Novum
Testamentum, 1983. (Section on John 12:1 begins on page 67.) |
| Satoko, Yamaguchi,
"Christianity and Women in Japan," Japanese Journal of Religious
Studies, 2003. |
| Songer, Harold S.,
"John 5-12: Opposition to the Giving of True Life," Review &
Expositor, 1988. |
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| Reviews:
|
Review: Jane S. Webster, Ingesting Jesus: Eating and Drinking in the
Gospel of John. Society of Biblical Literature, 2003. Review by francis
J. Moloney in The Catholic Biblical
Quarterly, 2004. |
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| Sermons:
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"Lenting in the Spirit: In Desolation," Sharon-Rhodes-Wickett, Westwood
United Methodist Church, Los Angeles, CA, 2001. |
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"Mary's Extravagant Love," Rev. Garth Wehrfritz-Hanson, Grace Lutheran
Church, Medicine Hat, Alberta. |
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"Expensive Oil for His Feet," Pastor Edward F. Markquart, Grace Lutheran Church,
Seattle, Washington. |
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"In the Thick of
Deceit," John Jewell,
1998. |
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"Succeeding in Death," L. Gregory
Bloomquist, Saint Paul University, Ottawa. |
| Worship or Waste? John 11:55 - 12:10, Ray C. Stedman.
Text or
Real Audio. |
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| With Children:
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| Drama:
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| Graphics & Bulletin Materials:
| Clip Art Images:
John 12:1-8,
John 12:1-8 #2, Misioneros Del Sagrado Corazón en el Perú. |
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John 12:1-8 at
Cerezo Barredo's weekly gospel illustration.
Liberation emphasis. |
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Clip Art:
Jesus Anointed at Bethany, Julius Schnoor von Carolsfeld woodcuts, World Mission
Collection, Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. |
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| Hymns and Music:
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| Fine Arts Images Linked at The Text This Week's
Art Index:
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| Movies scenes with the following themes,
listed at The Text This Week's Movie Concordance:
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| Study pages for Gospel Parallels:
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| Study Links and Resources for the
Book of John |
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