13. (Power of One - deals with) Plots and criticism

14:1-2	Priests plotting	14:10-11		Some angry about woman
14:1 Now it was the Passover and the feast of the unleavened bread after two days. And sought the chief priests and the scribes how him by guile seizing they might kill. 2 For they said Not at the feast, lest there will be a disturbance of the people.			14:10 And Judas Iscariot, the one of the twelve, went to the chief priests that him he might betray to them. 11 And they hearing rejoiced and promised him silver to give. And he sought how him opportunely he might betray.

14. (Power of One - deals with) Taking initiative

14:3-9

Woman anoints with jar - to be remembered

14:3 And being him in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, reclining him came a woman having an alabaster phial of ointment nard of pure costly; breaking the alabaster phial she poured over of him the head. 4 Now there some being angry with themselves: Why waste this of the ointment has occurred? 5 for could this ointment to be sold (for) over denaii three hundred and to be given to the poor: and they were indignant with her. 6 But Jesus said: Leave her; why to her troubles cause ye? a good work she wrought in me. 7 For always the poor ye have with yourselves, and whenever ye wish ye can to them well to do, but me not always ye have, 8 What she had she did; she was beforehand to anoint the body of me for the burial. 9 Truly And I tell you, wherever is proclaimed the gospel in all the world, also what did this woman will be spoken for a memorial of her.

Note: This woman is connected to a 'fallen woman' elsewhere but here she contrasts with Mary Magdalen who leaves the tomb in fear c/f point one. While there are very few references to sex in the gospels is there an implication here that the key type of person for the Christian is one who can reform or 'rise again'? A reference to the woman appears to come up again when in the Gospel of John the disciples are told to wash one another's feet in order to identify with the Living Word. Some scholars argue that in John the woman caught in adultery is a story that has been later added to the gospel. People may have been wondering more about the identity of the woman here in Mark and John may have been suggesting this was the woman who was 'forgiven' by Jesus. It is interesting to note that an apparently parallel gospel passage to the story of the woman caught in adultery deals with the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem when he comes to free "daughter of Sion". Perhaps there is a veiled reference here to his freeing of the "daughter of Sion" from the legal bondage imposed by over-stress on external law. Also the new Christian community for whom John is writing could be challenged to see themselves as a living off-shoot from Judaism (a daughter)