Gathered into One

Abstract

This article reconsiders the two enigmatic scenes of Mary at Jesus’ feet in John 11 and 12. Previous scholarship has recognized ordered connections between John 11–12, and between John 12–13. Examination of John’s distinctive linkage between Mary and Judas uncovers an artistic network of figural cantilevers and triads that connect, or gather into one, scenes from all three chapters: Jesus’ Raising of Lazarus, Mary’s Anointing of Jesus, and the Foot Washing. This network architecture enables information transfer and implicit commentary between the three contexts, which in turn illuminates Jesus’ emotional anagnorisis with Mary on his way to Lazarus’ tomb, as well as Mary’s unconventional wiping of the ointment from his feet with her hair. Her opposition to Judas points up her alignment with Jesus, wherein he shares her tears and she shares his anointing. Finally, this network model provides an intelligible platform for the migration of key Synoptic elements away from John’s Anointing into his Lazarus story.