Matthew 26:6 – 13

The Anointing at Bethany

6 And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper,

7 a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table.

8 But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste?

9 For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.”

10 But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me.

11 For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always.

12 For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial.

13 Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”

Matthew now relates an event which happened a few days earlier in time, while Jesus was in Bethany (Matthew 21:17). It happened in the village after he had went out to the village near Jerusalem to spend the night. John tells us in his book (John 12:1 – 2 [1 Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. 2 There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. ])while He was there a supper was made in His honor. This account tells us it is in the house of Simon the leper. Under the law of Moses it was required for a leper to live apart from society (Leviticus 13:46) thus, we can understand this man had been miraculously cured by our Savior and designated “the leper” to distinguish him from the other men named Simon in the gospel.

According to the account in the book of John, the woman in this verse was Mary, one of the sisters of Lazarus.

Alabaster was a material made of the mineral carbonate of lime, it was a white stone used often in those days to ornament buildings, for vases, and for small bottles for holding precious ointment.

Mark in His account states the woman broke the box and poured the ointment on his head. No reason is given for breaking the box except it shows her intent to use all of the ointment.

In John's account, he tells us it is Judas Iscariot who makes the complaint about her wasting an asset which could have been sold and contributed the large sum of money to help the poor.

The ointment would have brought a sizable amount of cash, but the real reason Judas hated the “waste” was he was called a thief by John, and he controlled the groups box of funds and was accustomed to using out of the groups funds for his own personal wants. He was jealous that the asset was used to honor Jesus and he did not have the benefit from such a value.

In verse 10 Jesus defends the woman by explaining of her motive of doing good for Jesus.

Jesus did not criticize the thought of giving something to the poor. He had encouraged others to give of their means to relieve the stress of the poor.

Matthew 19:21 ( Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”)

Neither did He criticize the motive of Judas. But He did make the observation they would have the poor to help the rest of their lives, but they would not have much time to give him honor.

It was custom in those days to prepare the bodies for burial by using spices before they were buried. (Chronicles 16:14, John 19:40. Luke 23:40) Mark in his account tells us Jesus says she was preparing his body for burial.

Mark 14:8 (She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial.)

Every time someone reads the account of this anointing in the scriptures fills a prophesy stated by Jesus in verse 13.