In This Issue

• THE ANOINTING BY MARY OF BETHANY
• AUTHORIZED AIDS
• HOW CAN WE BLAME IT ALL ON GUNS?
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THE ANOINTING BY MARY OF BETHANY

In Matt. 26:1-5, the chief priests, scribes and elders of the Jews plotted how they could arrest and destroy Jesus. In verses 6-13, Matthew flashes back (See John 12:1) to an incident that had occurred the day before Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem -- the incident that more than any other led to Judas' decision to betray his Lord and turn Him over to those who would crucify Him.

"And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, 'To what purpose is this waste? For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.' But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, 'Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial. Assuredly, I say to you wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.'"

We make four observations. First, the woman who did this deed was Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. Whenever this passage or its parallel passages in Mark 14 and John 12 are read, Mary's deed becomes a memorial, not only to Jesus, but to her as well.

Second, this anointing was for Christ's burial. How thoroughly Mary understood His upcoming death and burial, we cannot say -- but she had some degree of understanding, and she did what she could, Mark 14:8.

Third, note that Jesus indicated that we will always have the poor with us and "whenever you wish, you may do them good" (Mark 14:7). Before and since Christ's time, political leaders the world over have planned and promised to stamp out poverty, but they never have and never will be able to do so. As we have opportunity, we should do good to all men, with the realization that the task will never be completely finished, Gal. 6:10.

Finally, note the primary point Matthew had in placing this incident where he did in his account of the gospel. The complaint about the pouring out of the costly ointment was not limited to Judas, but John shows that he was indeed the one most disturbed, John 12:6. Thus, it was Judas who most sharply felt the sting of Jesus' rebuke. It is no coincidence that in verses 14 and following, Matthew records that Judas went out and made arrangements to betray Jesus to His enemies.

--CRJ

AUTHORIZED AIDS

The Bible does not state that Noah used hammers, saws, and axes in the construction of the ark. However, such instruments were authorized by the command, "Make thee an ark" (Genesis 6:14). Without the instruction to build the ark, the tools would have been unauthorized.

The Bible does not mention church buildings per se. However, they are scriptural because of the authority to assemble (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 11:18; 14:23; Hebrews 10:25). Without the right to assemble, church buildings would be without divine authority.

The Bible does not refer to song books. However, they are authorized by the command to sing (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16). They assist us in carrying out the divine direction to "sing and make melody" in our hearts to the Lord. Without the authority to sing, songbooks would be unscriptural.

The Bible does not talk about chalk boards, computerized images, or overhead projectors. However, they are approved by the authority to teach (Matthew 28:19). They assist in doing what the New Testament churches did; namely, teach (Acts 11:22-26). Without the authority to teach, boards and projectors would be contrary to Scripture.

The Bible does not say anything about collection baskets. However, they are authorized by the command to "lay by in store" (1 Corinthians 16:2). Without the authority for a contribution, collection trays would be unauthorized.

The Bible does not mention plates on which to serve the bread of the Lord's supper. However, they are authorized by the command to "take, eat" (1 Corinthians 11:24). Were there no communion, the plates would not be scriptural.

The Bible does not specifically cite a baptistry, an artificial pool in which baptism is performed. However, the command to baptize authorizes a place to baptize. Without the right to baptize, a baptistry would be without authority (Matthew 7:21-23).

Note These Contrasting Parallels

The Bible does not directly mention the use of pianos and organs in the worship of the church. If we had scriptural authority to "play music," such instruments would be authorized. As there is Bible authority for song books because we are to sing, so there would be authority for pianos in worship if we were commanded to "play music." When someone finds Scripture for "playing," he will have found authority for guitars, trumpets, "and such like." Until then, they cannot be used with the approval of heaven.

The Bible does not show where any church built and maintained recreation and entertainment facilities as a part of its work. As plates are authorized by the command to "eat" the bread of the Lord's supper, so there would be authority for dinner plates and badminton nets if the church were authorized to provide social meals and recreation for its members. If we had the authority to "play" games, such things would be authorized. When someone finds authority for the church to furnish recreation, amusement and entertainment, he will have found authority for gymnasiums "and such like." Until then, such things exist without scriptural authority.

Larry Ray Hafley, Watchman Magazine, October 2001

HOW CAN WE BLAME IT ALL ON GUNS?

[Editor's Note: This article was submitted by Tom Reed several months ago. About that same time, Gene Curry ran this item in the Macedonia (GA) bulletin with the following footnote: It is estimated that there are 179 million privately owned guns in America in 1998. 99.8% of them were not used in crimes."]

For the life of me, I can't understand what could have gone wrong in Littleton, Colo. If only the parents had kept their children away from the guns, we wouldn't have had such a tragedy. Yeah, it must have been the guns.....

1. It couldn't have been because of half our children being raised in broken homes.

2. It couldn't have been because our children get to spend an average of 30 seconds in meaningful conversation with their parents each day. After all, we give our children quality time.

3. It couldn't have been because we treat our children as pets and our pets as children.

4. It couldn't have been because we place our children in day care centers where they learn their socialization skills among their peers under the law of the jungle while employees who have no vested interest in the children look on and make sure than no blood is spilled.

5. It couldn't have been because we allow our children to watch, on average, seven hours of television a day filled with the glorification of sex and violence that isn't fit for adult consumption.

6. It couldn't have been because we allow our children to enter into virtual worlds in which, to win the game, one must kill as many opponents as possible in the most sadistic way possible.

7. It couldn't have been because we have sterilized and contracepted our families down to sizes so small that the children we do have are so spoiled with material things that they come to equate the receiving of the material with love.

8. It couldn't have been because our children, who historically have been seen as a blessing from God, are now being viewed as either a mistake created when contraception fails or inconveniences that parents try to raise in their spare time.

9. It couldn't have been because our nation is the world leader in developing a "culture of death" in which 20 million to 30 million babies have been killed by abortion.

10. It couldn't have been because we give two-year prison sentences to teen-agers who kill their newborns.

11. It couldn't have been because our school systems teach the children that they are nothing but glorified apes who have evolutionized out of some primordial soup of mud by teaching evolution as fact and by handing out condoms as if they were candy.

12. It couldn't have been because we teach our children that there are no laws of morality that transcend us, that everything is relative and that actions don't have consequences. Why not??? The president gets away with it.

Nah, it must have been the guns.

--Paul Harvey via the San Angelo (TX) Times.

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