February 11
Mark 14: For Wisdom, Watch Mary and Judas
Genesis 44; Mark 14; Job 10; Romans 14
The meal at Simon the Leper’s house is also recorded by Matthew (26:6-13) and John (12:1-8). Luke records a moment with many similar details, only it clearly happens earlier. What do we make of this?
John mentions that the anointing woman is a prostitute, and then right after he introduces Mary Magdalene. In Mark’s version, in the sentence before, Martha and her brother Lazarus are mentioned. Then, “Therefore, Mary . . .” The most likely interpretation is that Mary Magdalene is the same as Mary of Bethany, sister of Martha and Lazarus. She is a woman of means, formerly a high-priced call-girl, released from seven demons.
Judas is always mentioned next. He is “the son of Simon Iscariot,” (John 13:26) Iscariot meaning “from Kerioth,” which is a town in Judah. And now Jesus is eating with one Simon, in Bethany, which is in Judah. The coincidences are piling up. Again, dealing in likelihoods: Simon the Leper is most likely Judas’ father. They’re eating at Judas’ dad’s house.
If all this is true, it is likely that the Iscariot family and Mary, Martha and Lazarus knew each other already.
What about the similar incident recorded in Luke, but having happened earlier? The best conclusion is that Mary anointed Jesus twice.
Why twice? We don’t know. Perhaps it was gratitude that covered the two locations where her life was lived, once where she plied her trade (Magdala, Galilee) and once where she lived with her family (Bethany, Judah). More likely in my view is that she understood better than anyone what Jesus was going to do and why, but she just didn’t have the timeline down right (like everyone else). She was beautifully mistaken, and so as Jesus came closer to the moment, she felt the need to do it again, closer to his sacrifice.
Judas felt that moment coming, too. Douglas Wilson does well to point out a likely reason why Judas betrays Jesus after this moment (Mark 13:10-11).1 Judas is convinced that only he understands what needs to happen, which is to force Jesus’ hand into a confrontation with the authorities, where Jesus will have no choice but to use his awesome power to wipe the threshing floor clean and establish his kingdom.
But by the end of the story, Jesus is led like a lamb to the slaughter, Judas is hanging from a tree, and Mary is the first to be told of the resurrection. By the end we understand why Jesus told Peter to “get behind me Satan.” We can be mistaken on this detail or that like Mary, but we must not take Jesus by entirely human categories. He came to die to first give us forgiveness.
Mary Magdalene and Judas the Troubled | Blog & Mablog, accessed Feb. 11, 2026.