SUMMARY
Mary, the sister of Lazarus, anoints Jesus’ feet as an act of abundant love for JesusJesus is the Messiah whose life, death, and resurrection are God's saving act for humanity..
ANALYSIS
The anointing of Jesus occurs in all four Gospels but there are significant differences in the Gospel of John (See MatthewA tax collector who became one of Jesus' 12 disciples. 26:1-13; Mark 14:3-9; LukeThe "beloved physician" and companion of Paul. 7:36-49). In Luke, the anointing woman appears much earlier in the Gospel and is not connected with Jesus’ burial. In Matthew and Mark, the anointing is after Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, in Bethany, at the house of Simon the leperA leper is one who suffers from a chronic disease that eats away the flesh; it is now known as Hansen's Disease. At one time lepers were shunned as outcasts and lived in restricted or quarantined communities. Lepers appear in healing stories in both the.... An unnamed woman anoints Jesus’ head with very costly ointment, there is resistance to the act, by the disciples in Matthew and by “some” in Mark, and the story is told “in memory of her.” In John, the anointing occurs before Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and the woman is his dear friend, Mary. It is an act of abundant love, made clear in the details. In John, Mary anoints Jesus’ feet with a pound of costly perfume, made of pure nardNard is a precious ointment, perfume, or medicine. In Mark 14 a woman pours this very costly substance on Jesus' head while he was at supper in the house of Simon the leper. In John 12 Mary of Bethany anoints Jesus' feet with nard., worth 300 denarii, or almost a year’s wage, and the fragrance of the perfume filled the room The negative reaction to Mary’s actions comes from Judas, foreshadowing Judas’ betrayal (13:30) and standing in contrast to Mary’s devotion. The verb “to wipe” in the wiping of Jesus’ feet is the same verb for Jesus wiping the feet of his disciples. As Jesus had his feet so lovingly washed by Mary, he will do the same for his disciples. It is a sign of the mutual love between Jesus and those who believe.
