| 那可能是逾越節週的星期二晚上，基督似乎與馬利亞、馬大和拉撒路三姊弟住了幾天。此刻祂正在被稱為長大痳瘋的西門家中晚餐，極有可能基督在早前某些場合治好他。根據約翰福音的記載，那是一頓特別宴請基督的筵席，馬利、馬大和拉撒路也在席中。 那時，各人正倚靠在長椅上坐著，雙腳擱在椅的末端。馬利亞拿著一瓶極貴的香膏走近基督身旁，帶著無比的愛，馬利將大半瓶香膏倒在祂的腳上，然後再用其餘的香膏膏祂的頭。整間屋子都瀰漫著芬芳的香氣。 一些門徒甚感不滿，特別是猶大。他們能看到的只是香膏的價值，要花多少錢；卻不像基督一樣看重這份禮物背後的愛。猶大甚至清楚算出它的價格──一年的工資，價格不菲。約翰卻指出，猶大這樣想，只是因為他經常私自取用公家的錢。 馬利亞膏抹基督可能基於兩個原因。第一，無疑是感激基督使她的弟弟拉撒路復活。但另一個原因，則出於基督的口。或許，馬利亞已經記住基督預言自己將要受死的事，她是否認為，祂死後，她可能沒有機會膏祂的遺體，所以要事先膏祂？這似乎是她這份愛的禮物的真正原因；要是如此，馬利亞便是一個比任何人更相信祂預言被釘十架的人。 基督讚賞她作了一件美事。我們今天讀這感人的故事，同樣是應驗了基督的預言：「無論在甚麼地方傳這福音，也要述說這女人所行的，作個紀念。」因此，我們為基督和福音的緣故，無論作甚麼，基督都會知道，而終有一天，我們必站在祂的面前得賞賜。馬利亞當然也在得賞賜的行列中。 |
| It was possibly Tuesday night of the Passover Week. Christ seemed to have stayed with Mary, Martha and Lazarus for a few days. Now He was having an evening meal with Simon, called the Leper. Quite probably Christ had healed him on some previous occasion. According to John this was a special meal in Christ's honour and Mary, Martha and Lazarus were there. As they reclined on the various couches, with their feet over the end, Mary approached the place where Christ was with a jar of perfumed oil, the most expensive item. In the extravagance of love, Mary poured most of it onto His feet and then the final drops she poured on to His head. The whole house was filled with the beautiful perfume. Some of the disciples, Judas in particular, objected. All they could see was the cost, and the money involved. They didn't see the love behind the gift as Christ did. Judas even put a price on it - a year's wages, a huge price. But John wrote that Judas thought this way only because he often helped himself to their common money bag. This anointing was possibly prompted by two thoughts. One was no doubt gratitude for the raising of Lazarus, her brother. But the other thought was mentioned by Christ. Somehow Mary had entered into what Christ had been saying about His death. Did she think that she might have no opportunity to anoint His body after His death and so she did it beforehand? This seems to be the real reason behind her love gift. If so, then Mary was the one who, more than anyone else, anticipated His crucifixion. Christ's commendation of her action is so beautiful. Even the fact that we are reading this moving story today is a fulfilment of Christ's prophecy, "wherever the Gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her." Whatever we do for Christ's and the Gospel's sake is noticed by Him and will be rewarded some day when we all stand before Him. Mary will be there too. |
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