denounced one woe upon another against Cho-razin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum; the cities in which He had done His most mighty works, because they repented not. Chorazin is never mentioned as having been the abode of our Lord, nor are any miracles recorded as having been done in it. It was, probably, in the neighbourhood of Capernaum. Bethsaida lay on the lake of Gennesareth, just where the river Jordan flows into it, and was the city of the Apostles Peter, Andrew, and Philip. The woe denounced against it by our Saviour has long since come upon it, for it is now reduced to a very poor village, consisting of a few miserable cottages. Capernaum is also now so decayed as to consist only of a few fishermen's huts*.

SECT. XLIII.-Christ at Meat with Simon the Pharisee.— Luke vii. 36-50.

BUT it would seem that many who remained in unbelief were of respectable character, and not quite unwilling to hear Him; for "one of the Pharisees desired that He would eat with him; and He went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat." It should be remembered, that this expression does not correctly describe the attitude in which it was the custom in those days to partake of their meals. The Jews, like the Romans, were in the habit of reposing at length on couches placed round the

Dr. Robinson.

4 Dr. Wells.

table; and the guests so reclined that the feet were towards the space, or passage, between the couch and the wall. It was in this open space, to which access, without obtrusiveness, was easy, that "a woman came behind Him, and stood at His feet"." She was known as She was known as "a sinner;" but she was one whose sins pressed heavily on her conscience; for she showed extraordinary emotion; "she stood at His feet weeping, and washed them with her tears." She had learnt that "the Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins;" and whether she had before found comfort from His words, or whether she was now for the first time seeking it, her action and emotion testified the sincerity of her faith and repentance. That Pharisee, who was entertaining Jesus, was little aware of the purpose for which He was come into the world, and that He was now about to fulfil that purpose by the pardon of such a woman's sin. His good opinion of our Lord seems therefore to have been shaken. Speaking within himself he questions whether Jesus could be a prophet, or He would have known the worthless character of this woman: that Pharisee only says this to himself, but Jesus answers him, showing that God knows our hearts, and hears our thoughts, and judges of them as if they were clothed with words '.

It is often difficult in the New Testament

5 Pictorial Bible.

Abp. Sumner.

'Bishop Hall.

66

story to discriminate occurrences which have occurred more than once, and when the names of the principal actors in them are the same. Thus, Simon the Pharisee, and Simon the leper, and Lazarus, all received our Lord at meat; and it is recorded, of all three occasions, that, when there present, a woman anointed the feet of our Saviour out of an alabasterbox of ointment;" yet it seems probable, from a difference in some of the circumstances related, and from other considerations, that the history given by St. Luke, as happening at this time, does not relate to the same transaction as that recorded by the other Evangelists'. It is commonly supposed that the woman mentioned in this place was Mary Magdalene; but there does not appear to be any certainty for this conclusion. St. Luke's account would seem to refer to a transaction considerably earlier in point of date than the other two, recorded by St. Matthew, St. Mark, and St. John; and the remark to which the action gave rise, and the lesson conveyed from it by our Lord, are entirely different from those which occurred on the other occasions, not applying to any extravagance or waste in the donor, but to the sinful character of the woman, and to the forgiveness of sins. The supposition, therefore, is, that our Lord received three anointings in the course of His ministry, at different times, in different houses, * Dr. Whitby.

8

and two of them in different towns.

10

There is

no doubt but that one of these anointings was by Mary, the sister of Lazarus; for St. John distinctly states it to have been so We know that she resided with her brother Lazarus in Bethany; and as Jesus is supposed to have been at Jerusalem, when the Baptist's disciples came to Him, as we have just seen, it may be naturally enough concluded that this occurrence may have also occurred at Bethany, and that Simon the Pharisee may not unreasonably be held to be the same with Simon the leper'.

The text of St. Luke describes the woman in the house of Simon the leper, as one "that was a sinner;" and it is perhaps contrary to our prejudices to suppose that the sinful woman who then anointed the feet of Jesus, could have been the same person as the respected sister of Lazarus and Martha 2. But we must not allow a worldly estimate to blind our eyes to the ways of God. The Christ says to this woman what He does not speak to the most respectable of her sex: "Her sins, which are many, are forgiven;" and after words so divine, so powerful, and so effectual, it would not become us to scorn any comparison of Mary the sinner, Mary the sister of Lazarus, and Mary Magdalene. This latter name comes before us, for the first

Pictorial Bible. 1 Dr. Lightfoot.

10 John xi. 2.
"Pictorial Bible.

time, at this period of the story, as following Jesus with the twelve. The question has naturally been asked, Why called Magdalene? A place, called the coast of Magdela, or Dalmanutha, is mentioned by St. John as near the sea of Tiberias; but it would seem more probable that Mary Magdalene resided near Jerusalem, because she is always introduced into the history as in that neighbourhood; and it appears by the traditions, that there was a city called Magdela Zebaim, so near to Jerusalem as to allow one who resided there to pray in the Temple, and which received the latter name for its sinfulness. There would, therefore, appear to be reason to believe that Mary, the sister of Lazarus, of Bethany, might be "called Magdalene," both because as we see there was a town, near Jerusalem, called Magdela, of a very ill fame (which perhaps was Bethany itself); or that the name of Magdalene was given (with reference to the bad character of the place) to those who imitated its vices. St. Luke's expression regarding the former is remarkable, that she was "called Magdalene;" which manner of speech is not commonly used when persons are named after their country *. If Mary Magdalene were not Mary the sister of Lazarus, then Mary the sister of Lazarus gave no attendance at Christ's death, nor had * Dr. Lightfoot.

4 Ibid.