Part 9 (1/2)
John's picture of her is all the brighter because of his dark background of Judas. He has forever a.s.sociated their names in contrast. In his mind, the anointing was ever suggestive of the betrayal. He remembered how the ”thief” asked his hypocritical question at the moment of the greatest perfume; and how Judas was planning the betrayal while Mary was meditating on the death to which it would lead. It appears almost certain that Judas, stung by the Lord's reproof of him and defence of Mary, ready to sell his Lord's body for a less sum than he valued the ointment, turned from the feast in anger, hastening to the chief priest with the cursed question and promise, ”What will ye give me, and I will deliver Him unto you?” Wheresoever the gospel is preached throughout the whole world, that also which _this man_ hath done is spoken of--but not for a memorial of him.
John's picture of Mary, Judas and Jesus is a most suggestive grouping.
What harmony and contrast! What light and shade! What revelation of love and hate, of friends.h.i.+p and enmity, of devotion and sacrilege! To no other scene does Christ sustain quite the same relation. The friends.h.i.+p of His first feast--that of Cana--is deeper and tenderer in His last, at Bethany.
There is something sublime in this Son of G.o.d having all power, pleading with Judas that Mary might be permitted to continue her service of love for Him.
Add John's own likeness to the three at whom we have been looking, and what a grouping we have--Jesus with His loved Mary, and John the most beautiful ill.u.s.tration of human friends.h.i.+p, and Judas the _betrayer_.
Let imagination complete what no artist has attempted.
When John recalls the odors of Mary's ointment filling the house, he seems to catch a refrain from Solomon's song, and addresses it to her,--”Thine ointments have a goodly fragrance; thy name is as ointment poured forth; therefore do the maidens love thee.”
It is not the ”maidens” alone, especially the Marys of Christendom, that ”love” her, but all to whom the gospel is preached, who join in John's refrain, while thanking him for his ”memorial of her.”
_CHAPTER XX_
_John a Herald of the King_
PROPHECY:
”Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: ... lowly, and riding upon ... a colt.”--_Zech._ ix. 9.
PROPHECY FULFILLED:
”He sent two of his disciples, saying, Go your way into the village over against you; in the which as ye enter ye shall find a colt tied: ... loose him, and bring him.... And they brought him to Jesus: and they threw their garments upon the colt, and set Jesus thereon.”--_Luke_ xix. 30, 35.
PROPHECY UNDERSTOOD:
”These things understood not His disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things unto Him.”--_John_ xii. 16.
”Daughter of Zion! Virgin Queen! Rejoice!
Clap the glad hand and lift th' exulting voice!
He comes,--but not in regal splendor drest, The haughty diadem, the Tyrian vest; Not arm'd in flame, all glorious from afar, Of hosts the chieftain, and the lord of war: Messiah comes!--let furious discord cease; Be peace on earth before the Prince of Peace!”
--_Heber's Palestine_.
Zechariah foretold the coming of Christ five hundred years before the angels over Bethlehem heralded His birth. The prophets saw Him as the Messiah-king, but not such a ruler as most of the Jews of Christ's day expected. Even the disciples, believing Him to be the Messiah, had mistaken views of His kingdom. Yet He was the King foretold by the prophets; the Son of David who sang of Him as the ”King” and as the ”Lord's anointed”; the Messiah or Christ; the king of the Jews not only, but of all men. As such He would make a triumphal entry into the ”City of the Great King.” This would not be in the pride and pomp of an earthly conqueror, but in the ”lowly” manner which Zechariah had foretold.
All the accounts of Jesus' journeyings leave the impression that He went a-foot. Only once do we know that He rode; that was in fulfilment of prophecy. That prophecy He purposed to fulfil the day after the feast of Bethany. This was intended by Christ to be His royal and Messianic entry into Jerusalem. The hour had come. A colt unused, and so fitted by custom for sacred purposes, was ready for His use. Having left the village ”He sent two of His disciples to bring it to Him.” These two are understood to be Peter and John, for whose united service He would soon call again. We may think of the owner of the colt as friendly toward their Master. When told by the disciples, ”The Lord hath need of him,”
he was ready to serve Him by the loan of his beast. That ”need”--whatever the owner or the disciples thought--was not so much to aid in Christ's journey as to make true the prophetic words concerning Him, ”Thy King cometh ... riding upon ... a colt.”
The two disciples ”brought him to Jesus, and they threw their garments upon the colt, and set Jesus thereon.”
We may think of Peter and John, having arranged for the royal ride, as heralds of their Lord, leading the procession from Bethany, and the first to greet with signal and shout the other coming from Jerusalem.
Beside their King, perhaps leading the colt on which they had placed Him, they would be the first to tread where ”a very great mult.i.tude spread their garments in the way,” and others ”branches from the trees,”
and yet others ”layers of leaves which they had cut from the fields”--thus carpeting the road winding around the slope of Olivet.
Were not Peter and John leaders in song when ”at the descent at the Mount of Olives the whole mult.i.tude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise G.o.d,” and especially when ”the City of David” came into view?