Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,
Matthew 26:6 places Jesus at a supper in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, seated with His friends and disciples six days before the Passover while the rulers in Jerusalem were plotting against Him. Simon had been healed by Jesus of loathsome leprosy and out of gratitude hosted the feast in His honor, though as a Pharisee who saw Him only as a teacher his heart remained unchanged. At the table with Simon sat Lazarus whom Jesus had raised, with Martha, Mary, and the disciples present, when Mary came with costly spikenard worth three hundred pence and poured it upon His head and feet. Her deed was a fitting expression of love, gratitude, and highest homage to the Redeemer and for His burial, which Jesus fully approved as not wasteful, while Judas and the disciples condemned it as waste that should have been sold for the poor. The protest sprang not from care for the poor but from covetous greed, and there Judas first openly murmured, his pride wounded by rebuke, opening the way for Satan to lead him to betray Jesus for silver, while Mary's broken box remains a lasting call to honor Christ with the best without neglecting the poor.
Setting, Time, and Guests
Jesus was in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, seated at meat at a feast or supper with His friends and disciples, and that meal provides the setting for Mary's anointing of Him and for Judas's criticism of her. Simon was one whom Jesus had cured of leprosy, a loathsome disease, and out of gratitude for that healing he honored Jesus by hosting the supper and inviting Him and His friends. He acknowledged Jesus as a teacher and hoped He was the Messiah, but he was a Pharisee who had not accepted Him as Saviour, and his character and principles remained unchanged.
The time was in the closing days of Jesus' ministry during His last visit to Bethany, six days before the Passover, when as was His custom He rested at Lazarus's home over the Sabbath. While Jesus and His friends feasted in Bethany, the authorities in Jerusalem were plotting against Him. At the table Jesus sat beside Simon and beside Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead, and Simon, Lazarus, Martha, and Mary were present with the disciples.
There Mary, a penitent woman, came with an alabaster box of very precious ointment, spikenard worth three hundred pence, and poured it upon His head and upon His feet.
Motives, Rebuke, and Legacy
Mary had once been controlled by demons and was regarded as a great sinner, but Jesus saw her possibilities, lifted her from despair and hopelessness, forgave her sins, and by His grace enabled her to overcome and draw near to Him in fellowship and service, with gratitude also for His raising of her brother Lazarus. That restored life issued in steadfast devotion afterward, for she anointed Him at Bethany, stood by His cross, came to His tomb, and was the first to proclaim His resurrection.
Her anointing was a visible expression of love, gratitude, appreciation, and highest homage to Jesus as the world's Redeemer. He was One who had served others, helped the poor, and comforted the oppressed, and she poured out her costly ointment upon Him in honor of such a Saviour. She intended the gift for His burial as He neared His death, though she still believed He might soon be honored as king, and she recognized His worth when the disciples did not.
Jesus looked at the motive prompting her deed and gave it His unqualified approval as fitting and beautiful rather than wasteful. Her loving devotion mattered more to Christ than the price of the ointment, He joined her loving sacrifice to His own great sacrifice, and His commendation after the disciples condemned her brought her deep comfort. The gift was therefore not wasted, for although its price could have provided temporary help for a few poor people, it gave her a unique opportunity to show her love for Christ.
Judas and the disciples questioned and condemned the gift as waste and unnecessary, claiming the ointment should have been sold and the money given to the poor, with Judas especially vexed when Jesus rebuked them for condemning the woman. Their protest, and his above all, came from covetousness and not from concern for the poor. Judas was controlled by an ambitious love of money and selfish greed, he coveted the money he might have controlled from such a sale, he often took for himself money entrusted to him for the poor, and at length appropriated to himself the treasure entrusted to him to defray expenses. He was unteachable in this indulgence, he presented saving as the great evidence of godliness, he used the Gospel call to mercy for the poor as an excuse for grasping gain, and he let small deviation for selfish advantage grow until it mastered him, while those who have received pardoning love do not calculate cost as he did but regret only that the offering was not richer and more valuable.
Until that feast Judas had inwardly disagreed with Christ and spread disaffection, but he had made no open opposition and uttered no outward murmur; there he first openly murmured and manifested his covetous disposition. At Jesus' reproof his spirit turned to gall, his pride was wounded, and resentment and desire for revenge were stirred. His greed, long indulged, then held him in control and overpowered every other characteristic, showing that persisting in tampering with sin lets unresisted depravity respond to Satan's temptations until the soul is led captive at his will. Mary's generosity rebuked him and prepared the way for temptation to find welcome in his heart, he yielded and became open to Satan's influence, and he agreed to betray Jesus for a few pieces of silver, valuing Him only at that price, though he expected Jesus to escape His enemies by divine power.
The incident teaches that Christ is to be honored by dedicating the best of one's possessions to Him, that concern for the poor must not lead to neglect of God's cause, and that faithful stewards can care for both. Mary's act represents and teaches the church in every age to give in service to Christ. The broken alabaster box became a lasting example remembered through the centuries that has inspired countless acts of loving service, and its influence Mary will see and rejoice in.
Matthew 26:6 places Jesus at a supper in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, seated with His friends and disciples six days before the Passover while the rulers in Jerusalem were plotting against Him. Simon had been healed by Jesus of loathsome leprosy and out of gratitude hosted the feast in His honor, though as a Pharisee who saw Him only as a teacher his heart remained unchanged. At the table with Simon sat Lazarus whom Jesus had raised, with Martha, Mary, and the disciples present, when Mary came with costly spikenard worth three hundred pence and poured it upon His head and feet. Her deed was a fitting expression of love, gratitude, and highest homage to the Redeemer and for His burial, which Jesus fully approved as not wasteful, while Judas and the disciples condemned it as waste that should have been sold for the poor. The protest sprang not from care for the poor but from covetous greed, and there Judas first openly murmured, his pride wounded by rebuke, opening the way for Satan to lead him to betray Jesus for silver, while Mary's broken box remains a lasting call to honor Christ with the best without neglecting the poor.
Setting, Time, and Guests
Jesus was in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, seated at meat at a feast or supper with His friends and disciples, and that meal provides the setting for Mary's anointing of Him and for Judas's criticism of her. Simon was one whom Jesus had cured of leprosy, a loathsome disease, and out of gratitude for that healing he honored Jesus by hosting the supper and inviting Him and His friends. He acknowledged Jesus as a teacher and hoped He was the Messiah, but he was a Pharisee who had not accepted Him as Saviour, and his character and principles remained unchanged.
The time was in the closing days of Jesus' ministry during His last visit to Bethany, six days before the Passover, when as was His custom He rested at Lazarus's home over the Sabbath. While Jesus and His friends feasted in Bethany, the authorities in Jerusalem were plotting against Him. At the table Jesus sat beside Simon and beside Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead, and Simon, Lazarus, Martha, and Mary were present with the disciples.
There Mary, a penitent woman, came with an alabaster box of very precious ointment, spikenard worth three hundred pence, and poured it upon His head and upon His feet.
Motives, Rebuke, and Legacy
Mary had once been controlled by demons and was regarded as a great sinner, but Jesus saw her possibilities, lifted her from despair and hopelessness, forgave her sins, and by His grace enabled her to overcome and draw near to Him in fellowship and service, with gratitude also for His raising of her brother Lazarus. That restored life issued in steadfast devotion afterward, for she anointed Him at Bethany, stood by His cross, came to His tomb, and was the first to proclaim His resurrection.
Her anointing was a visible expression of love, gratitude, appreciation, and highest homage to Jesus as the world's Redeemer. He was One who had served others, helped the poor, and comforted the oppressed, and she poured out her costly ointment upon Him in honor of such a Saviour. She intended the gift for His burial as He neared His death, though she still believed He might soon be honored as king, and she recognized His worth when the disciples did not.
Jesus looked at the motive prompting her deed and gave it His unqualified approval as fitting and beautiful rather than wasteful. Her loving devotion mattered more to Christ than the price of the ointment, He joined her loving sacrifice to His own great sacrifice, and His commendation after the disciples condemned her brought her deep comfort. The gift was therefore not wasted, for although its price could have provided temporary help for a few poor people, it gave her a unique opportunity to show her love for Christ.
Judas and the disciples questioned and condemned the gift as waste and unnecessary, claiming the ointment should have been sold and the money given to the poor, with Judas especially vexed when Jesus rebuked them for condemning the woman. Their protest, and his above all, came from covetousness and not from concern for the poor. Judas was controlled by an ambitious love of money and selfish greed, he coveted the money he might have controlled from such a sale, he often took for himself money entrusted to him for the poor, and at length appropriated to himself the treasure entrusted to him to defray expenses. He was unteachable in this indulgence, he presented saving as the great evidence of godliness, he used the Gospel call to mercy for the poor as an excuse for grasping gain, and he let small deviation for selfish advantage grow until it mastered him, while those who have received pardoning love do not calculate cost as he did but regret only that the offering was not richer and more valuable.
Until that feast Judas had inwardly disagreed with Christ and spread disaffection, but he had made no open opposition and uttered no outward murmur; there he first openly murmured and manifested his covetous disposition. At Jesus' reproof his spirit turned to gall, his pride was wounded, and resentment and desire for revenge were stirred. His greed, long indulged, then held him in control and overpowered every other characteristic, showing that persisting in tampering with sin lets unresisted depravity respond to Satan's temptations until the soul is led captive at his will. Mary's generosity rebuked him and prepared the way for temptation to find welcome in his heart, he yielded and became open to Satan's influence, and he agreed to betray Jesus for a few pieces of silver, valuing Him only at that price, though he expected Jesus to escape His enemies by divine power.
The incident teaches that Christ is to be honored by dedicating the best of one's possessions to Him, that concern for the poor must not lead to neglect of God's cause, and that faithful stewards can care for both. Mary's act represents and teaches the church in every age to give in service to Christ. The broken alabaster box became a lasting example remembered through the centuries that has inspired countless acts of loving service, and its influence Mary will see and rejoice in.