She Hath Come Aforehand

by Elspeth Young

She Hath Come Aforehand
Original Oil Painting

She Hath Come Aforehand
11 x 17

She Hath Come Aforehand
8 x 10

She Hath Come Aforehand
5 x 7

Mary of Bethany

And being in Bethany...as [Jesus] sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head...And Jesus said...She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.

Mark 14:3, 6, 8-9

THE STORY IN THE PAINTING

At times, efforts to do good and lift the lives and spirits of others may be demeaned by passersby—or even by detracting voices that chant within the mind. Such was the case for beloved Mary. Her "precious" offering of devotion was described by Elder James E. Talmage as "an expression of adoration," the "fragrant outwelling of a heart overflowing with worship and affection" (Talmage 512). Unfortunately, however, her tribute was criticized by Judas and others as a "waste" (Mark 14:4).

In the writings of Pliny the Elder, a contemporary of the era, we find an echo of the rebuke Judas offered in response to Mary's gift. Pliny describes the use of such perfumes as a "luxury" and, indeed, the "most superfluous of any" because such "unguents lost their odour in an instant, and die away the very hour they are used." He further declaims: "How, I should like to know, could a perfume be at all . . . productive of any kind of pleasure?" (Pliny 167-168).

The Savior's instant reproof of Judas silences any who wish to belittle the good we do, no matter how small, or simple, or seemingly frivolous or extravagant: "Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me" (Mark 14:6). No effort we make to reach out and bless others is ever wasted, for "inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these . . . ye have done it unto me" (Matthew 25:40). When we choose "that good part," as Mary did, the blessings and joys stemming from our service "shall not be taken away from [us]" (Luke 10:42).

SYMBOLISM OR SIGNIFICANT ELEMENTS IN THE PAINTING

Mary lovingly holds the "alabaster box" filled with ointment she has "preserved" (JST John 12:27) expressly for the purpose of anointing the Savior. Alabaster is a translucent gypsum used by the ancients because it was considered an ideal material for preserving ointments.

The clay vessel at Mary's feet symbolizes Mary's worth as a daughter of God. In the familiar words of Isaiah: "But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand" (Isaiah 64:8). Being "centered" on the Savior, as Mary was, means that we are at the center of the potter's wheel of this existence, with the result that the Lord can fashion us to be whole and useful.

The red robe encircling the figure represents the Atonement. The Hebrew word for Atonement and cloak, or covering is kaphar (see Olson 14). Mary is literally enfolded within the power of the Atonement to heal, to lift, inspire, and strengthen.

Lavender is popularly purported to be the spikenard with which Mary anointed the Savior's head and feet. Although ancient sources do not necessarily support this idea, John Gerard, in his Herbal published in 1633, refers to English lavender as "spike" of which a distillation of oil is made called the "oile of Spike" (Gerard 573).

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Cansdale, George. All the Animals of the Bible Lands. Grand Rapids, Michigan: The Paternoster Press, 1970.

Gerard, John. The Herbal or General History of Plants. Revised and enlarged by Thomas Thomas Johnson. NY: Dover Publications, 1975.

Pliny the Elder. The Natural History of Pliny vol. 3. Bostock, John and H. T. Riley trans. London, 1855.

Talmage, James E. Jesus The Christ. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Company, 1922.

Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for alabastros (Strong's 211)". Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2010. 16 Feb 2010. <http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm>

Olson, Camille Fronk. Women of the Old Testament. Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book, 2009.