Mark 14:1-11
Jesus Anointed at Bethany
1Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him. 2"But not during the Feast," they said, "or the people may riot."
3While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.
4Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, "Why this waste of perfume? 5It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor." And they rebuked her harshly.
6"Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. 8She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. 9I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."
10Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. 11They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.
There were two days until the Passover Feast...The teachers of the law and the chief priests were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill Him...The chief priests and teachers of the law did not want to kill Jesus during the Passover Feast, because they thought the people and His followers might riot...
While He was in Bethany at the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume made of pure nard...The woman broke the jar of perfume and poured it on Jesus' head...Some of those present ask the woman, why she was wasting this perfume...Could not they have sold the nard for more than one year's wages and the money been given to the poor?...The people criticized the woman and rebuked her harshly...
Jesus told the critics to leave her alone...He told them she has done a beautiful thing to Him...The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them at any time you want...But they would not have His physical presence for much longer...She did what she could...She has poured the perfume on Me and has prepared by body for burial...Jesus tells us that, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will be told in memory of her...
Then Judas Iscariot went to the chief priests and betrayed Jesus to them...They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money...So he watched for an opportunity to had Him over...
The religious leaders and Jesus' opposition were looking for a way and reasons to kill Him...The woman anointing Jesus loved Him...Jesus defends those who love Him...He tells the critics that she has done a good thing, not something that needs rebuking her...She did this out of love and the goodness of her heart... His bodily presence would not be with them much longer...The poor would always be with them, and they can and should help them at any time...
Jesus in a short while would be crucified...This was a special occasion...This act of anointment was one of generosity, toward One she loved...It symbolized the anointing for Jesus burial...It was a custom to anoint the body of the dead with perfume and spices...It is never wasteful to pay tribute to Him...
Whenever the gospel is preached and taught throughout the world, what she has done will be told in memory of her...This writing, of the generous woman's goodness, is in her memory...