Background
Mark's Gospel (Mark14:3-9) and Matthew's Gospel (Matthew 26:6-13) also have a story about awoman anointing Jesus. And Luke's Gospel (Luke7:36-50) has yet another. Those stories have similarities anddifferences both to each other and to the story in John's Gospel.In John's Gospel, Jesus is sharing a meal with people at the homeof Lazarus and his sisters, Martha and Mary, in Bethany.(Interestingly, Jesus shares a meal with Martha and Mary, butwithout mention of Lazarus, in Luke10:38-42.) In John's Gospel (John11:1-44), Lazarus has previously died and eventually beenraised to life again by Jesus. His sisters have been distraught athis death, but Martha in particular has come to see and trust thatJesus could raise people to new life not just at a generalresurrection at the end of time, but in the here and now, whetherthey are physically dead or alive (John11:21-27).
Where Martha shows faith, Mary shows grace andgratitude. In an extremely extravagant and highly unconventionalgesture, she takes expensive ointment, anoints Jesus' feet with it,and then wipes his feet with her hair (verse 3). It was a riskything for a respectable woman to do. Is she remembering Isaiah52:7 and treating Jesus' feet as beautiful because he has beenthe herald who has brought the good news of life to her brother? IfMartha had anticipated Jesus bringing new life even before his ownresurrection never mind the general resurrection, has Maryanticipated that the cost of his doing so will be his own death,and so anointed his body for burial in advance? The Greek of verse7 is very hard to translate, but it seems to be trying to suggestsomething like that.
What of the poor? They are indeed always withus. Who is most likely to care for them? The person concerned aboutpropriety, or their own self interest? Or the person who respondsgratefully, spontaneously, extravagantly and even riskily to thegrace they have received from Jesus?
To Ponder
- What would it mean for us today to be like (a) Judas; and (b)Mary?