Page 16 16 ENCOUNTER 3 March A.D. 30 Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said,”Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.” (John 12:1-8) Here we have a matchless picture of what Bethany is all about. A feast is given in honor of Jesus. Jesus is seated as the head of the table. This is the place of honor, supremacy, and centrality. There is feasting, there is fellowship, and there is rejoicing. This same story is recorded in Matthew 26 and Mark 14. And other details are given. I’m going to reconstruct the story combining all three accounts. (This narrative is not to be confused with the account of the sinful woman anointing Jesus in Luke 7.) Feasting in the Lord’s Presence The feast is set in the home of Simon the leper. Simon was probably healed by Jesus in the past. In this scene, he is a cleansed leper. But even though Simon no longer has leprosy, he still carries a stigma. People still fear him. They still ostracize him. But not Jesus. Point: God’s house is made up of cleansed lepers. That’s what we all are. We were inflicted with the disease of spiritual leprosy, an apt metaphor of sin. And Jesus Christ touched and healed us. Also present as a guest is Lazarus–a man who has been resurrected from the dead. Cleansed lepers. Resurrected humans. All sitting around a table where Christ is Head–feasting, fellowshipping, and rejoicing with Him. That’s Bethany. And that’s the church. Again, Martha is acting according to character. She is serving. But she’s not worried