SIX days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. They gave a dinner for Him there, and Martha served, while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with Him. Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. Then Judas the Iscariot, one [of] His disciples, and the one who would betray Him, said, "Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days’ wages and given to the poor?" He said this not because He cared about the poor but because He was a thief and held the money bag and used to steal the contributions. So Jesus said, "Leave her alone. Let her keep this for the day of My burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me."
[The] large crowd of the Jews found out that He was there and came, not only because of Jesus, but also to see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. And the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus too, because many of the Jews were turning away and believing in Jesus because of Him.
The WORD
Mary — The one who anoints Jesus’ feet is Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. All three are friends of Jesus. This Mary is at times mixed up with Mary Magdalene who is seen as a sinful woman. The version by Mark and Matthew of the anointing has an unnamed woman anointing the head (not the feet) of Jesus with costly perfume in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper (Mk 14:3; Mt 26:6-7). Luke has a story of a sinful woman who anoints the feet of Jesus in the house of Simon the Pharisee in Galilee (Lk 7:36-38). Popular imagination mixes these stories and comes out with Mary of Magdalene (because she is seen as a sinful woman) anointing Jesus a few days before He dies.
In the gospel, the anointing expresses Mary’s loving gesture for the Master who has restored her brother Lazarus to life. The fragrance of the ointment signifies the abundance of affection. Contrast is made of a stench that came from the tomb of the dead Lazarus, as exposed by Martha (Jn 11:39), with the fragrance of life that Mary gives out of gratitude for the resuscitation of her brother. Another contrast is made with the objection of Judas that the wasteful spreading of the precious ointment has no place in the ministry of Jesus. But Judas is a thief and has helped himself from the money bag he is supposed to administer. This juxtaposing of Mary’s abundant generosity, reflecting her great love, with the hypocritical objection of Judas reveals that a woman — not a chosen disciple — has understood the significance of Jesus.
SOURCE:
"365 Days with the Lord," ST PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 895-9701; Fax 895-7328; E-mail: publishing@stpauls.ph; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph. 
