TEXT [Commentary]

B. The Anointing at Bethany (26:6-13; cf. Mark 14:3-9; John 12:2-11)

6 Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy. 7 While he was eating,[*] a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume and poured it over his head.

8 The disciples were indignant when they saw this. “What a waste!” they said. 9 “It could have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.”

10 But Jesus, aware of this, replied, “Why criticize this woman for doing such a good thing to me? 11 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me. 12 She has poured this perfume on me to prepare my body for burial. 13 I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.”

NOTES

26:6 Jesus was in Bethany. Sandwiched between two sections of the betrayal story is the narrative of Jesus’ anointing in Bethany (cf. Mark 14:3-9; John 12:2-11). Bethany was a village less than two miles east of Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives (21:17; John 11:1, 18).

Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy. Spending time in the home of Simon the leper, who is mentioned only here in the NT, would render Jesus ritually impure just before Passover (cf. 8:2). The NLT reflects the view of some that Simon was a former leper who had already been healed by Jesus. There may be four other Simons in this Gospel (4:18; 10:2, 4; 13:55; 16:16-17; 17:25; 27:32).

26:7 a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume and poured it over his head. While Jesus was eating, an unnamed woman (but see John 12:3) surprisingly anointed his head with perfume.

26:8-9 What a waste! The disciples responded indignantly to what they perceived as an extravagance. They protested that the valuable perfume could have been sold and the money given to the poor (cf. 11:5; 19:21; cf. Luke 4:18; 21:1-4). But the next verses show that their apparent piety masked a serious lack of spiritual perception. The disciples were inexplicably oblivious to the absolutely exceptional nature of these days in Jerusalem.

26:10 Why criticize this woman? Jesus criticized the disciples for criticizing the woman. Her action might show her perception of the uniqueness of the hour (see note on 26:12), a perception the disciples lack.

26:11 You will always have the poor. Poor people will always be around (Deut 15:11), but Jesus’ time on earth was short (26:2-3). Opportunities abound for helping the poor, but time was running out for honoring Jesus.

26:12 She has poured this perfume on me to prepare my body for burial. It is not clear how much the woman realized about Jesus’ imminent betrayal, but Jesus interpreted her action as prophetic, a preparation for his burial (Davies and Allison 1997:447). In any event, Hagner (1995:758) goes too far in saying that the woman certainly did not intend to anoint Jesus for burial.

26:13 this woman’s deed will be remembered. Her deed will be recounted and she will be remembered wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world (24:14; 28:19). The record of this story in Matthew, Mark, and John ensures that the act of the woman will continue to be remembered all over the world. Interestingly, Matthew does not mention that after the crucifixion Jesus’ body was again anointed before it was placed in the tomb (27:59; cf. Mark 16:1; Luke 20:1; John 18:38-40).

COMMENTARY [Text]

In this passage one is struck by the fact that an obscure, unnamed woman seems to have greater recognition of the shortness of Jesus’ remaining time on earth than Jesus’ disciples had. Though the disciples had a legitimate point—one should care for the needy—the disciples’ timing was all wrong. Despite their being at Jesus’ side and hearing his repeated passion predictions, including one that should still be ringing in their ears (26:2), they acted as though it was time for business as usual. As the story of this chapter proceeds, this woman is portrayed sympathetically as serving Jesus while the disciples are corrected. Judas is the foil to the unnamed woman.

Jesus’ words about the poor should not be misused as substantiation for a callous attitude about their needs. His comment that the poor are always present alludes to Deuteronomy 15:11, which speaks realistically about needy people in the context of the sabbatical year of remission when debts were to be forgiven (Deut 15:1-2). God commanded the Jews not to withhold a loan because the sabbatical year was near and the loan would be forgiven before it could be completely repaid (Deut 15:7-10). God’s blessing will make up for what is lost when the loan is not repaid (Deut 15:4, 6, 10, 14, 18). Overall, Deuteronomy 15 is about helping the needy so that there will be no poor people in the land (Deut 15:4). Jesus’ allusion to Deuteronomy 15:11 in 26:11 is a reminder of an ongoing responsibility, not a stoic comment about an inevitable situation. But the ongoing responsibility of caring for the poor paled in comparison with the urgency of caring for Jesus during his last days on earth (9:15).