Waggoner on the Gospel of John - Ellet J. Waggoner

indignation" over some supposed extravagance, or
when something was done for which we could see
no reason. We are very apt to make hasty
judgments. May we not from this learn a lesson?
We can see that it was wrong in this case; but it is
not in itself so apparent as in many instances that
come under our immediate notice. If the disciples
had known all the circumstances, as we know them
now, and as they did afterwards, none of them,
save Judas, would have murmured.
The eleven disciples were sincere in their care
for the poor, while Judas was a hypocritical thief:
yet their zeal was altogether out of place. Indeed,
they made themselves sharers in the sin of Judas,
because he was the leader in the condemnation of
Mary's act, since in this place he alone is
mentioned as having complained. If they had
known what spirit actuated him, they would not
have thought of joining him in his outcry. Here
again we may learn to be on our guard against
sympathizing too readily with a man's grievance,
and too readily joining in with somebody else's
denunciation of what plainly seems to be a
167