4. The Sister of Lazarus and Martha. The friendship of our Lord for this family has been explained in other articles. (See LAZARUS; MARTHA.) The points of interest in connection with Mary individually arise from the contrast of character between her and her sister Martha, and from the incidents by which that contrast was evinced. Apart from this view, the most signal incident in the history of Mary is her conduct at the supper which was given to Jesus in Beth any, when he came thither after having raised Lazarus from the dead. The intense love which distinguished her character then glowed with the highest fervor, manifesting the depth of her emotion and gratitude for the deliverance from the cold terrors of the grave of that brother who now sat alive and cheerful with the guests at table. She took the station she best loved, at the feet of Jesus. Among the ancients it was usual to wash the feet of guests before an entertain ment, and with this the anointing of the feet was frequently connected. (See ANOINTING.) Mary possessed a large quantity of very costly oint ment ; and in order to testify her gratitude she sacrificed it all by anointing with it the feet of Jesus. We are told that the disciples murmured at the extravagance of this act, deeming that it would have been much wiser, if she had sold the ointment and given the money to the poor. But Jesus, looking beyond the mere external act to the disposition which gave birth to it—a disposition which marked the intensity of her gratitude—vin dicated her deed. Always meditating upon his de
parture, and more especially at that moment, when it was so near at hand, he attributed to this act a still higher sense—as having reference to his approaching death. The dead were em balmed: and so, he said, have I received, by anticipation, the consecration of death (John xii: 1-8; Matt. xxvi :6-13; Mark xiv :3-9).
5. The Mother of John, Surnamed Mark, had a house in Jerusalem, to which it is thought the apostles retired after the ascension of our Lord, and where they received the Holy Ghost.
This house was on mount Sion, and Epiphanius says, it escaped the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, and was changed into a very famous church, which continued several ages. After the imprisonment of Peter, the faithful were assem bled in this house, praying, when Peter, deliv ered by the ministry of an angel, knocked at the gate (Acts xii :5, 12). From Col. iv :to we learn that she was sister to Barnabas, and they ap parently gave up their land and house for the good of the church (Acts iv :37; xii :12).
6. A Christian woman at Rome greeted by St. Paul in his Epistle to the Romans (xvi :6). There is no further notice of her than that she had treated St. Paul with great kindness. (See Jowett, The Epistles of St. Paul.)