The Sweet Smell of Faithfulness

Below is a rough translation and some comments regarding John 12: 1-8, the gospel reading for Sunday, March 17. Your comments are welcomed!

¹ Ὁ οὖν Ἰησοῦς πρὸ ἓξ ἡμερῶν τοῦ πάσχα ἦλθεν εἰς Βηθανίαν, ὅπου ἦν Λάζαρος, ὃν 

ἤγειρεν ἐκ νεκρῶν Ἰησοῦς. 

Then Jesus six days before the Passover came into Bethany, where Lazarus was, who Jesus raised out of the dead.

ἦλθεν: AAI 3s, ἔρχομαι, 1) to come  

ἤγειρεν: AAI 3s, ἐγείρω, 1) to arouse, cause to rise  1a) to arouse from sleep, to awake  1b) to arouse from the sleep of death, to recall the dead to life

1. It is six days before the Passover festival. To look ahead a bit, the next day (12:12) a great crowd will welcome Jesus into Jerusalem, where he is going for the festival. John’s narrative will then jump to a less precise “before the festival ...” in 13:1.

2. The raising of Lazarus is a key story in the Gospel of John and strongly connected to the death of Jesus, as well as perhaps a foretaste of the resurrection story. It is not mentioned in the synoptic gospels, which says a lot about the diversity of how the story of Jesus was told during the writing and formation of the New Testament.

² ἐποίησαν οὖν αὐτῷ δεῖπνον ἐκεῖ, καὶ ἡ Μάρθα διηκόνει, ὁ δὲ Λάζαρος εἷς ἦν ἐκ τῶν ἀνακειμένων σὺν αὐτῷ. 

Then they gave a dinner to him there, and Martha is serving, but Lazarus was one out of those who were reclining at the table with him.

ἐποίησαν: AAI 3p, ποιέω, 1) to make  1a) with the names of things made, to produce, construct,  form, fashion, etc.

διηκόνει: IAI 3s, διακονέω, 1)) to be a servant, attendant, domestic, to serve, wait upon

ἦν: IAI 3s, εἰμί, 1) to be, to exist, to happen, to be present

ἀνακειμένων: PMPart gpm, ἀνάκειμαι, 1) to lie at a table, eat together, dine 

1. John uses οὖν as connective tissue between vv.1,2, and 3. οὖν could be translated “therefore,” but it seems to be more neutral, like “then” in these verses. Except here, perhaps, where it might be “So they gave him a dinner ...” This could be an honoring banquet for Jesus.

2. I just can’t glide over the fact that Martha was serving and Lazarus was dining (and Mary is worshipping). I don’t know what to do with that observation and it remains common enough that women often take to the kitchen more than men. It just stings a bit to see it so starkly, serving/dining.

3. Naming Lazarus as one of those who is reclining at the table with Jesus may be John’s way of declaring Lazarus to be among the apostles.

³  ἡ οὖν Μαριὰμ λαβοῦσα λίτραν μύρου νάρδου πιστικῆς πολυτίμου ἤλειψεν τοὺς πόδας τοῦ Ἰησοῦ καὶ ἐξέμαξεν ταῖς θριξὶν αὐτῆς τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ: ἡ δὲ οἰκία ἐπληρώθη ἐκ τῆς ὀσμῆς τοῦ μύρου. 

Then Mary having taken a pound of nard ointment very expensive anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped with her hair his feet; and the house was filed out of the fragrance of the ointment. 

λαβοῦσα: AAPart nsf, λαμβάνω, 1) to take

ἤλειψεν: AAI 3s, ἀλείφω, 1) to anoint 

ἐξέμαξεν: AAI 3s, ἐκμάσσω, 1) to wipe off, to wipe away

ἐπληρώθη: API 3s, πληρόω, 1) to make full, to fill up, i.e. to fill to the full

1. Now, after hearing that Martha is serving and Lazarus is dining, we hear that Mary is anointing Jesus’ feet. My sense is that this story and the story of Mary and Martha in Lk.10 might have started as the same story originally, then took differing paths.

2. This verse it a bit difficult to translate because of words that are unfamiliar to me. The adjectives that John uses to describe the nard ointment are πιστικῆς and πολυτίμου. πιστικῆς has the root πιστις, which means “faith.” Under other circumstances πιστικῆς would mean “trusty” or “faithful.” Here, it seems to imply purity and, I suspect, especially with regard to the strength of the fragrance. πολυτίμου means “costly,” as in the “pearl of great price.” These are lovely terms that show the intensity of this outpouring from Mary.

3. The house is filled, it is full, it is brimming with the fragrance of this act of ... embalming. There is some great literary paradox going on here.

⁴ λέγει δὲ Ἰούδας ὁ Ἰσκαριώτης εἷς [ἐκ] τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ, ὁ μέλλων αὐτὸν παραδιδόναι, 

But Judas the Iscariot one [out] of his disciples, who is intending to give him over, says,

λέγει: PAI 3s, λέγω, 1) to say, to speak 

μέλλων: PAPart nsm, μέλλω, 1) to be about  1a) to be on the point of doing or suffering something  1b) to intend, have in mind, think to

παραδιδόναι: PAInf, παραδίδωμι, 1) to give into the hands (of another)

1. The particple μέλλων could indicate that something is getting ready to happen soon, but my sense is that Judas’ intent is behind the participial phrase, so I am bringing out the intentionality rather than just the temporality that Judas is going to betray Jesus. If y’all were southern, we’d say he’s “fixin’” to betray.

2. The verb παραδίδωμι can be translated “betray,” but I am keeping its more literal sense here to show that the root, δίδωμι, is the same word that Judas will use in his question in v.5.

⁵ Διὰ τί τοῦτο τὸ μύρον οὐκ ἐπράθη τριακοσίων δηναρίων καὶ ἐδόθη πτωχοῖς; 

“Why wasn’t this ointment sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”

ἐπράθη: API 3s, πιπράσκω, 1) to sell  

ἐδόθη: API 3s, δίδωμι, 1) to give  2) to give something to someone 

1. Such an unctuous declaration from Judas! He is setting up a contrast between extravagant worship and acts of charity. Judas is the one setting up that contrast. If someone wants to make this pericope a story about the contrast between extravagant worship and charity to the poor, one should remember that it is Judas who names the situation this way.

⁶ εἶπεν δὲ τοῦτο οὐχ ὅτι περὶ τῶν πτωχῶν ἔμελεν αὐτῷ ἀλλ' ὅτι κλέπτης ἦν καὶ τὸ γλωσσόκομον ἔχων τὰ βαλλόμενα ἐβάσταζεν. 

But he said this not because he was concerned about the poor but because he was a thief and having the treasury box he was taking the offerings.

εἶπεν: AAI 3s, λέγω, 1) to say, to speak 

ἔμελεν: IAI 3s, μελετάω, 1) to care for, attend to carefully, practice 

ἦν: IAI 3s, εἰμί, 1) to be, to exist, to happen, to be present

ἔχων: PAPart nsm, ἔχω, 1) to have, i.e. to hold  

βαλλόμενα: PPPart apn, βάλλω, 1) to throw or let go of a thing without caring where it falls

ἐβάσταζεν: IAI 3s, βαστάζω, 1) to take up with the hands 

1. The evolving story of Judas has developed to the point that he was a thief, in addition to being the betrayer. Paul never mentions Judas, some people read the Synoptic portrayal somewhat sympathetically, but John is absolute that Judas is not honorable. So, the contrast between extravagant worship and charity to the poor is not a genuine contrast from the start. It is a contrast between Mary’s act of extravagance and Judas’ pretension of caring for the poor.

2. The word for “treasury box,” γλωσσόκομον, has the root ‘tongue’ or γλωσσω in it because it originally meant the storage box for a mouthpiece. The word for “offerings,” βαλλόμενα, literally means “things that are thrown,” indicating that offerings were tossed or dropped into receptacles.

⁷ εἶπεν οὖν ὁ Ἰησοῦς,  Ἄφες αὐτήν, ἵνα εἰς τὴν ἡμέραν τοῦ ἐνταφιασ μοῦ μου τηρήσῃ αὐτό: 

Then Jesus said, “Permit her, in order that into the day of my embalming she has kept it for me;

εἶπεν: AAI 3s, λέγω, 1) to say, to speak 

Ἄφες: AAImpv 2s, ἀφίημι, 1) to send away  1a1) of a husband divorcing his wife  1c) to let go, let alone, let be  1c3) to omit, neglect  1d) to let go, give up a debt, forgive, to remit  1) to give up, keep no longer  2) to permit, allow, not to hinder, to give up a thing to a person

τηρήσῃ: AASubj 3s, τηρέω, 1) to attend to carefully, take care of 

1. The phrase order is a bit awkward, but it has several ‘intention’ words - ἵνα, which means ‘in order that,’ and the subjunctive use of τηρέω, to show purpose.

2. The contrast here is between Mary’s intention to honor Jesus’ death and Judas’ intention, which is not caring about the poor but dipping into the money.

⁸ τοὺς πτωχοὺς γὰρ πάντοτε ἔχετε μεθ' ἑαυτῶν, ἐμὲ δὲ οὐ πάντοτε ἔχετε.

For the poor always you have with you, but me you do not always have.”

ἔχετε: PAI 2p, ἔχω, 1) to have, i.e. to hold

ἔχετε: PAI 2p, ἔχω, 1) to have, i.e. to hold

1. Anyone who quotes this verse to dissuade giving to the poor should be slapped. There, I said it.

2. Mary’s act of devotion is such an ‘in the moment’ act of utter devotion. Judas’ concern for the poor is a piece of his ongoing dishonesty and a ruse. The real contrast here is between utter devotion and cynical deception.

3. This verse is an echo of Deuteronomy 15:7-11 (see below), which is a warning to the people of Israel before they enter into the Promised Land. God first says that the land will be abundant enough that there should be no one poor or needy among them. But, alas, there are. And poverty amid abundance is a mark of shame on those who are not sharing.

We get a little glimpse of John’s Christology vis-à-vis Jesus’ own Jewish practices in c.12. Because of the enormous popularity of Lazarus’ resuscitation, a crowd gathers in Bethany to see Jesus and Lazarus and the chief priests begin to ploy Jesus’ and Lazarus’ deaths (12:10). The reason, John says, is “since it was on account of him [Lazarus] that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus.” (12:11). I find the word “deserting” to be very curious. Deserting what? Jesus is going to the Passover festival, so obviously he is acting as a practicing Jew. It seems to me that the followers are not deserting Judaism for some new religion; they are deserting the chief priests for a new rabbi. The Gospel of John is often said to be very anti-Semitic, partly because of the phrase “the Jews” that seems to indict the whole people. I think passages like 12:9-12 show that it is not Judaism that John is critiquing, but the leadership.

Deuteronomy 15:7-11 “If there is among you anyone in need, a member of your community in any of your towns within the land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted towards your needy neighbour. You should rather open your hand, willingly lending enough to meet the need, whatever it may be. Be careful that you do not entertain a mean thought, thinking, ‘The seventh year, the year of remission, is near’, and therefore view your needy neighbour with hostility and give nothing; your neighbour might cry to the Lord against you, and you would incur guilt. Give liberally and be ungrudging when you do so, for on this account the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, ‘Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbour in your land.’”