Mary Anoints Jesus with Expensive Ointment 

When Jesus and the apostles arrived at Bethany on Friday afternoon, March 31, 30 CE, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were expecting them. Their home was a busy place, as many people wanted to visit Lazarus and talk with him about his resurrection. Thus, they arranged for Jesus to stay with Simon, who had become the leading citizen of Bethany ever since Lazarus’ father died some years before.

Both the citizens of Bethany and the Jewish authorities were pleased to see Jesus there – the citizens because many loved him, and the authorities because Bethany was within their control. But these authorities, the priests and Pharisees, were wary of Jesus. The fact of Lazarus’ resurrection from the dead had become a problem for them because it had galvanized public interest in the Master and devotion from his followers.

The next day, April 1, 30 CE, Jesus and Lazarus were honored with a public banquet at Simon’s home in Bethany. And this was one day before Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. All the villagers from Bethany and Bethpage joined in the festivities. The feast was arranged in defiance of the Sanhedrin, and some of their agents were present, but they were reluctant to try and arrest Jesus while he was surrounded by his friends.

Jesus and Simon had enjoyable discussions, and Jesus told Simon about Joshua of old (his namesake) and how he had just come to Bethany through Jericho. They talked of the Biblical story of the walls of Jericho falling, and Jesus told Simon he wanted to make the walls of "prejudice, self-righteousness, and hate" dissolve through the acceptance of the teachings of the gospel of the kingdom.

Jesus was cheerful and upbeat that day, playing with the children right up to the time that everyone came to the table. And the banquet was being enjoyed by all, even though the apostles were somewhat subdued in their attitudes.

During the dinner, Martha was in charge of the food, but both she and Mary were part of the onlookers, as women were not allowed to sit at the table. Nevertheless, when the dinner was nearing the end, Mary came forward from where she had been observing and approached Jesus as he reclined at the head of the table. She opened a large jar of spikenard oil, a very costly and rare substance, and began anointing Jesus with it.

She started by anointing his head and then proceeded to pour the oil over his feet. She unloosed her hair and began using it to wipe the oil on his feet. Soon, the scent of the oil permeated the whole house; everyone took notice, and although Lazarus said nothing, some in the crowd murmured about the costly oil being used that way. Judas Iscariot went over to the Apostle Andrew and complained about it, saying that the oil should have been sold and the money used to feed the poor. He told Andrew that he should urge Jesus to denounce the waste of such a precious oil.

Now, Martha and Lazarus knew that Mary had saved up for this oil and that she had bought it to use as an embalming fluid on Jesus at his burial. She was one of the few who believed him when he told them that he would soon die. But she chose this event to use the oil instead – while the Master still lived. Both Martha and Lazarus approved of Mary’s gesture; they were wealthy people and could afford such luxuries.

Jesus, knowing what they believed and hearing what they said, placed his hand on Mary's head as she knelt by his side. With a kindly look on his face, he said: "Let her alone, every one of you. Why do you trouble her about this, seeing that she has done a good thing in her heart?" He told the dinner guests that Mary had saved her own money to buy the oil in anticipation of his upcoming death and burial, and if she chose to use it now – before his death – it was her choice. He said that since the poor would always be with them, they could minister to them at any time, but he would not be with them much longer.

He said: "In the doing of this, Mary has reproved all of you in that by this act, she evinces faith in what I have said about my death and ascension to my Father in heaven. This woman shall not be reproved for what she has done this night; rather, do I say to you that in the ages to come, wherever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, what she has done will be spoken of in memory of her."

This event was a turning point for Judas. He took Jesus’ words of rebuke personally and wanted revenge for his hurt feelings. He wasn’t alone in his criticisms; the oil was very costly, and many agreed it could have easily fed five thousand people. So, Judas was encouraged to openly and consciously entertain feelings and thoughts that had been simmering in his subconscious mind for a long time.

As a result of this dinner in Bethany, the chief priests decided that both Jesus and Lazarus should die. They reasoned that putting Jesus to death would be an empty gesture if Lazarus, who Jesus had raised from the dead, was allowed to live.