Category: New Testament
Scriptures:
Matthew 26:6-26:13
Mark 14:3-14:9
Luke 7:36-7:50
John 12:1-12:8
Matthew 26:6-26:13
6 Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,
7 a woman came to him having an alabaster jar of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table.
8 But when his disciples saw this, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste?
9 For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.”
10 However, knowing this, Jesus said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? She has done a good work for me.
11 For you always have the poor with you; but you don’t always have me.
12 For in pouring this ointment on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial.
13 Most certainly I tell you, wherever this Good News is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of as a memorial of her.”
Mark 14:3-14:9
3 While he was at Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster jar of ointment of pure nard—very costly. She broke the jar, and poured it over his head.
4 But there were some who were indignant among themselves, saying, “Why has this ointment been wasted?
5 For this might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and given to the poor.” They grumbled against her.
6 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for me.
7 For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want to, you can do them good; but you will not always have me.
8 She has done what she could. She has anointed my body beforehand for the burying.
9 Most certainly I tell you, wherever this Good News may be preached throughout the whole world, that which this woman has done will also be spoken of for a memorial of her.”
Luke 7:36-7:50
36 One of the Pharisees invited him to eat with him. He entered into the Pharisee’s house, and sat at the table.
37 Behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that he was reclining in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment.
38 Standing behind at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and she wiped them with the hair of her head, kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, “This man, if he were a prophet, would have perceived who and what kind of woman this is who touches him, that she is a sinner.”
40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” He said, “Teacher, say on.”
41 “A certain lender had two debtors. The one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.
42 When they couldn’t pay, he forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him most?”
43 Simon answered, “He, I suppose, to whom he forgave the most.” He said to him, “You have judged correctly.”
44 Turning to the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered into your house, and you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head.
45 You gave me no kiss, but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss my feet.
46 You didn’t anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.
47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”
48 He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 Those who sat at the table with him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50 He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
John 12:1-12:8
1 Then six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, who had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.
2 So they made him a supper there. Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with him.
3 Mary, therefore, took a pound of ointment of pure nard, very precious, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment.
4 Then Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, one of his disciples, who would betray him, said,
5 “Why wasn’t this ointment sold for three hundred denarii, and given to the poor?”
6 Now he said this, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and having the money box, used to steal what was put into it.
7 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She has kept this for the day of my burial.
8 For you always have the poor with you, but you don’t always have me.”
Commentary
In Mark 14:3-9 Jesus is anointed by a woman at the home of Simon the Leper in Bethany. Because it is a very similar story to that of Luke 7:36-50 and John 12:1-8, many feel that the stories are reflections of a single event. The name of the host in both stories is Simon, but the Simon in Luke is a Pharisee in Galilee, and here he is a leper in Bethany, a suburb of Jerusalem.
The identity of the woman is unknown in both Mark and Luke, but in Luke she is a sinful woman. Additionally, the objections to the anointing came from Simon the Pharisee in Luke, questioning the possibility of Jesus being a prophet. Here in Mark the objection to the anointing comes from Matthew in his gospel, amd to Judas in the gospel of John. The two accounts are dissimilar enough to be distinct stories.
Anointings were common at the time of Passover, but this woman’s anointing may have had nothing to do with that holiday. The anointing may be an indication that Jesus is about to begin his messianic role, or it is possible that the anointing had more to do with the death and burial of Jesus, (his body is buried without proper anointing.
An important part of the story in Luke is the description of an alabaster flask of perfume. The best perfumes came in alabaster flasks, the neck of which would be broken to let the perfume out. Nothing was held back, it was all used to anoint Jesus. This is an extravagant act since the perfume as costly. The disciple who objected said that the money could have been given to the poor, which was a tradition for Jews to do at the time of the Passover.
Jesus’ words sound harsh: “The poor you will always have…” While this may be an allusion to Deuteronomy 15:11, the important thing here is that Jesus is predicting his death, and telling his disciples that there is very little time left for them to serve their master before his is killed.
Jesus describes this act of worship as a “beautiful thing.” Her selfless act of sacrifice is the only anointing that the Anointed one actually receives in Mark. But what is Mark’s point in telling this story where he does in his Gospel? There are some obvious foreshadowing of the suffering of Jesus which follows, but there is another reason that this woman’s actions which merit the the high praise Jesus gives her. The woman’s action is worthy of high praise from Jesus because the condition of her heart is pure.