Christian Chapter Chat

5.17.2006

An Intimate Moment with Mary

Okay...didn't we already do this one?

There were several places in this chapter that I wasn't real happy with the way Gire explained them. For instance, Mary poured the perfume over Jesus' head because she could sense that he was going to die when his own disciples could not? REALLY? Is that really why she did it? Or, was he kinda smelly that day and she wanted to show her love and so she broke the bottle and poured the perfume on him?

The line that really irritated me though was this one:

"For the disciples, the ministry was fast becoming a business to be budgested rather than a Savior to be served."

He's dissin' the disciples? I understand that they were having trouble grasping what Jesus was telling them about his impending death but wouldn't we all? If a loved one came to you and said that they were going to die soon, wouldn't you do everything you could to block that thought from your mind? Especially when it was someone you thought had come to save the world? Saying that the ministry was becoming a business - where is the proof in that? Man, he makes them sound like the precursor to Jimmy Swaggert or something.

The one part I did really like was this:

"The Savior had come to earth to break an alabaster jar for humanity."

Now THAT's a beautiful thought - especially after Addie had explained the whole premise about the alabaster jar. On top of that, I thought the prayer at the end was spot on. It really was beautifully put.

posted by HeyJules at 7:33 AM

18 Comments:

  • Jules, I, also, really apprcciated Addie filling us in on the history of the alabaster jar. It adds a lot when you understand that.

    And, I too, loved the prayer at the end. Great minds must think alike? Lol!

    And, no, we haven't already done this one...which I did address, I think, in my post. But it certainly can be confusing sometimes, can't it? :)

    By Blogger Pilot Mom, at 12:09 PM  

  • I saw Mary's name at the top and I thought, "OH NO! Here we go again!!!"

    By Blogger HeyJules, at 12:47 PM  

  • yes, I agree, it is a bit confusing.... especially with Gire mixing stories that Im not totally convinced are the same....

    By Blogger dangermama, at 12:55 PM  

  • Actually many of the events in Jesus life are mentioned in various Gospels with differing details. I personally think it's the same event with a different spin. In John the focus is on Judas doing all the complaining because "he was a thief." Sounds like just another way to slander the man who betrayed Jesus. Mary Magdalene is portrayed as a prostitue but Scripture doesn't support that claim either.
    And these stories were mostly oral tradition until later when writing it all down was important for the church.

    By Blogger Claire Joy, at 1:35 PM  

  • This is the same Mary mentioned in John's account but it is not the same woman mentioned in the earlier Luke account. This one is Mary of Martha and Lazarus the earlier Luke account (Chap 7) is the prostitute who is unnamed. That one (chap 7) took place in Galilee while this one takes place in Bethany where Mary, Martha, and Lazarus lived. I'm sure they were now friends of the healed Simon the Leper.

    By Blogger Pilot Mom, at 4:14 PM  

  • Im still not convinced that this is Mary (I believe there may have been 3 women - mary, the prostitute and now this woman) - I dont know why, but it just doesnt "sit well" with me that this is Mary... but then like I said, I dont think that it really takes away from the story if it was Mary or wasnt....

    By Blogger dangermama, at 4:22 PM  

  • So do you think that Martha and Lazarus would be there and Mary wouldn't be there, when it is her beloved Jesus there?

    By Blogger Pilot Mom, at 4:38 PM  

  • It was a dinner in honor of Christ held at Simon's home and Martha served...I can't imagine that Mary would not have attended.

    By Blogger Pilot Mom, at 4:41 PM  

  • Also, another reason Mary would have done it besides her love for the Lord was in gratitude to Christ for His restoring Lazarus to life...I would want to take 10 alabaster jars to show my love for raising my brother back to life. :)

    By Blogger Pilot Mom, at 4:43 PM  

  • Okay...so if this is Mary of Mary and Martha, and the other one was Mary the Prostitute then where the heck is Mary Magdalene? Which ones are about her?

    I swear...if I hear the name Mary again in this book I'm going to scream!!! LOL

    By Blogger HeyJules, at 4:50 PM  

  • Mary Magdalene...
    Matt 27:56, 61
    *delivered frm demons Luke 8:2
    *contributes to Christ's support Luke 8:2,3
    *Looks on crucified Savior Matt 27:55,56
    *follows Jesus' body Matt 27:61
    *visits Jesus' tomb Mark 16:1-8
    *Tells the disicples John 20:2
    *First to see risen Lord Mark 16:9 and John 20:11-18

    That should give you a little bit of reading to do Jules! :)

    By Blogger Pilot Mom, at 5:00 PM  

  • ok, Claire now you are mixing the references.... the only one that mentions Lazarus and Martha is the one that Mary is also named as the woman... Simon the leper is not mentioned in this story either, it doesnt say whose house it it... it seems odd to me that Martha would serve in someone else's house besides her own - which would be John 12

    but in both the other passages of a similar (if not the same) story, Lazarus, Martha and Mary are not mentioned by name... this would be in Matthew 26 and Mark 14

    there are other small differences in the story as well....
    -----------------------------

    Jules, there is no such person as Mary the prostitute mentioned in the Bible - I think you are confused b/c alot of people think that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute and that is not Scripturally based at all - Mary Magdalene never annointed Jesus with oil in the Bible

    there were either 2 women mentioned that did this (Mary - Lazarus' & Martha's sister, and the prostitute) or 3 (Mary - Lazarus sister, the prostitute and an unnamed woman) - depends on what you believe..

    By Blogger dangermama, at 5:07 PM  

  • Supposedly one out of every four girl children was named Mary back then. (Not like today, where we're making up names with strange spellings) so it's a wonder we aren't even more confused than we are.

    By Blogger Claire Joy, at 5:12 PM  

  • They are the same event and Martha served because of the closeness between M, M, L and Simon the Leper. The exact same discussion (well, part of it, is included in John 12 and it takes place in Bethany, and probably Simon wasn't married so Martha served for him out of close friendship.

    Addie is right Jules, Mary Mag was delivered from demon possession.

    By Blogger Pilot Mom, at 5:15 PM  

  • Addie, I just looked up in my reference on the Harmony of the Gospels and it states that the "Annointing by Mary at Simon's Feast" took place in Bethany and the scripture references are Matt 26:6-13 (which I have not looked at), Mark 14:3-9, and John 12:2-8. Hope this helps.

    By Blogger Pilot Mom, at 5:36 PM  

  • Okay, I just have to tell you all - I just read through all this again and I can't stop laughing! There was a prostitute but that wasn't Mary. There was a Mary but she wasn't Mary Magdalene, who wasn't a prostitute either. There was Mary of Mary and Martha fame but she is not to be confused with the Mary at from the first Mary story. Or was that the second Mary story?

    I'm sorry...I can't stop laughing!

    I WILL go read all those scripture references though. And might I say Claire, it's nice to have them all in one place! LOL ;-0

    By Blogger HeyJules, at 8:14 PM  

  • BAWHAAABAWAAHAAA!!! TOO FUNNY!

    By Blogger Pilot Mom, at 10:41 PM  

  • Jules, thats funny, for easy reference there are only 3 main Marys in the Bible

    Mary, Jesus' mother
    Mary Magdalene
    Mary, sister of Martha and Lazarus


    Claire - you put up the same Scripture references I already provided

    By Blogger dangermama, at 7:39 AM  

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