John 12:1-11 | Rubens & Van Dijck | The Anointing at Bethany

John 12:1-11   The Anointing at Bethany

The Anointing at Bethany, Painted by Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) and Anthony Van Dyck (1599-1641), Painted in 1618, Oil on canvas © The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg Six days before the Passover, Jesus went to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom he had raised from the dead. They gave a dinner for him there; Martha waited on them and Lazarus was among those at table. Mary brought in a pound of very costly ointment, pure nard, and with it anointed the feet of Jesus, wiping them with her hair; the house was full of the scent of the ointment. Then Judas Iscariot – one of his disciples, the man who was to betray him – said, ‘Why wasn’t this ointment sold for three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor?’ He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he was in charge of the common fund and used to help himself to the contributions. So Jesus said, ‘Leave her alone; she had to keep this scent for the day of my burial. You have the poor with you always, you will not always have me.’ Meanwhile a large number of Jews heard that he was there and came not only on account of Jesus but also to see Lazarus whom he had raised from the dead. Then the chief priests decided to kill Lazarus as well, since it was on his account that many of the Jews were leaving them and believing in Jesus.   READ MORE     Reflection on the Painting And so Holy Week has started. For many of us, it will be a Holy Week like no other. With the Corona Virus spreading throughout the world, the uncertainty, fear, and worry are also going viral. With most of us not being able to visit Churches or attend any Holy Week services, it will be a very trying time spiritually. I feel it too. What we have to remember is that we are not a people of fear; we are a people of faith. Even though the virus is indiscriminately and quickly changing the landscape of our world, we have to believe that goodness too can spread throughout the world with the same speed. So this Holy Week I personally will pray that God’s word will spread again throughout the world as well, with urgency, and that people may take time to re-discover their faith. Our Gospel reading today, is therefore very poignant. We read of a supper at Bethany, where Lazarus ‘sat at the table’ among the guests This is the same Lazarus who had been publicly raised from the dead, after lying four days in the grave. The story of the raising of Lazarus should give us hope for the future. Jesus wept for Lazarus, showing us that He understands the human condition of sorrow and grief. But Christ also raised Lazarus. He will raise us out of whatever grief and hardship we are experiencing at the moment, because of His compassion. Mary, by anointing Jesus’ feet, shows affectionate and devoted humility towards Jesus. Our painting by Peter Paul Rubens and Anthony Van Dyck depicts Christ, flanked on His right by the raised Lazarus (he is holding a white cloth). Mary is at Jesus’ feet with the jar of ointment. Judas (with some Pharisees behind him) is sitting to the left of our composition. He is already painted with a traitor-like expression, questioning Jesus about the cost of the ointment. The figure of Christ is composed of soft lines and large areas of colour. He is the only figure who is not painted in ‘movement’, and thus conveys steadiness, calmness, serenity… He is exactly who we need in these uncertain times… by Patrick van der Vorst