As we approach this text, many people make the mistake of mixing this Simon with the Simon we find in Luke’s account in Luke 7:36-50. The Simon referred to in Matthew’s account is the Simon who had been cured of leprosy, Matthew 26:6 / Mark 14:3, and possibly out of thankfulness, hosted a dinner in his home in honour of Jesus.
Robertson, in his commentary, says the following:
‘This anointing has nothing in common with that given by Luke, except the fact of a woman anointing the Saviour’s feet, and the name Simon, which was common. The former was in Galilee; this is at Bethany near Jerusalem. There, the host despised the woman who anointed; here, her brother is one of the guests, and her sister is an active attendant. There, the woman was a sinner, a notoriously bad woman; here it is the devout Mary who ‘sat at the Lord’s feet and heard his words,’ months before. There, the host thought it strange that Jesus allowed her to touch him; here, the disciples complained of the waste. There the Saviour gave assurance of forgiveness, here of perpetual and worldwide honour. Especially notice that here the woman who anoints is anticipating his speedy death and burial, of which at the former time he had never distinctly spoken. In view of all these differences, it is absurd to represent the two anointings as the same, and outrageous on such slender grounds to cast reproach on Mary of Bethany.’
In John 12:1, we find some confusion over the timing. John tells us six days before Passover. Matthew 26:2 and Mark 12:1 suggest that this occurred at different times, two days before Passover. It may have been that Jesus arrived on Friday, but the dinner took place on Tuesday.
Jesus returns from Ephraim to Bethany after spending some time there. This coming Passover, Mark 14:1 / John 12:1, would occur after His death on the cross but before His resurrection. Jesus was walking into danger, and the rulers were determined to kill Him, Mark 14:1 / John 11:53.
He was going deliberately to His death, Mark 10:32-34. The rulers didn’t want to arrest Him during the feast, Matthew 26:4-5 / Mark 14:2, because of the fear of a riot, but He overruled their plans.
The ‘supper’ is the main meal, usually in the evening, and it was a dinner in Jesus’ honour, John 12:2. It was in the house of Simon the leper, Matthew 26:6 / Mark 14:1, probably one whom Jesus had healed. Assuming Simon was the host, there were fifteen men present: Simon, Jesus, the twelve, Lazarus, and Martha ‘served’, John 12:2 / Luke 10:40.
Jesus has the opportunity to spend some last moments with the people He loves, His good friends Lazarus and the sisters, John 12:2. These must have been very precious moments for the Lord as He knew His time was drawing closer. It seems likely that a four-day gap occurred between John 12:1 and John 12:2.
Mary is mentioned, John 12:3, but in Matthew and Mark, she isn’t named. She took ‘a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume,’ Matthew 26:7 / Mark 14:3 / John 12:3, its value was around three hundred denarii, which is equal to three hundred days’ wages for a working man, John 12:5 / Matthew 20:2.
The nard that Mary used is better known as spikenard, an expensive perfume imported from India. It was far more expensive than the ordinary man in the street could ever hope to be able to afford, and it is possible that this had been a much-prized possession of the woman. It was highly scented and was normally used on the hair as a perfume and oil together.
She ‘anointed the feet of Jesus’, John 12:3. Matthew 26:7 and Mark 14:3 tell us that she anointed His head also. Anointing the head was a way of honouring a special guest, Psalm 23:5 / Luke 7:46. John recalls that Mary’s loving act went beyond the customary practice, John 12:3.
A respectable Jewish woman wouldn’t let down her hair in public because in doing so, she might be regarded as a woman of loose morality, but Mary was forgetful of propriety under the compulsion of love.
This was the second time something such as this had happened to the Lord, Luke 7:38, and it was a great act of humility for Mary to wipe Jesus’ feet with her hair, as the washing of feet was normally done by a servant, John 13:1-17 / Matthew 26:17-35.
The fact that John was present is proven by his remembering the strong scent filling the house, John 12:3. Note that each time we meet Mary in the narrative, we find her at the feet of Jesus; we see that here, and in Luke 10:39 / John 11:32.
In John 12:4-6, we see Judas Iscariot object to the ‘wasting’ of this expensive perfume. Matthew and Mark both tell us that Judas found some support among the twelve for his objection, Matthew 26:8 / Mark 14:4. It seems that they, too, were more concerned with the value of material things.
At first glance, we may even have some sympathy for Judas as the poor of the region would have benefited greatly from the money to be made by selling the perfume, Matthew 26:8-9 / Mark 14:4-5. However, we see that it’s clear that Judas was the treasurer, and John tells us that he wasn’t really concerned about the poor but more concerned with lining his own pocket, John 12:6.
Mary’s act is an act of love towards her Master, and she had her priorities right because she could have sold it and given the money to the poor. She chose instead to use it to anoint Jesus and seized an opportunity she would never have again.
It was a personal expression of her true feelings and her thanks for the raising of her brother Lazarus just a few weeks earlier, John 11:38-44. When we examine the motive behind Judas’ apparent indignation, one sees a rather sad picture.
Jesus demands total honesty from His followers, and here, amid the group of believers, is this thief. Judas, the man who was to sell the Lord for thirty pieces of silver, was already guilty, Matthew 26:14-16.
The lesson to be learnt here is interesting; anyone given the responsibility of keeping the ‘church funds’ needs to calculate the spending without error. They must keep an unquestionable account of all entrusted to them, and they must be unscrupulously honest, ready to give account at all times.
A hint toward balance is given in Matthew 26:10-12 / Mark 14:6-8 / John 12:7-8. We must balance our giving as individuals as well as a church, and we need to ensure we don’t squander the Lord’s money on trivialities such as expensive gardens and excessive buildings and decorations while people around the building are starving either physically or spiritually. Balance in all things is always demanded of the Christian.
Mary was being criticized by Judas, and if we seek the parallel account in the Gospels, by the other disciples present, Jesus comes to her rescue, He tells them to leave her alone, Mark 14:6.
It’s clear from John 12:4, that Judas spoke directly to Mary about the waste and I’m sure they would have stepped in to stop her from wasting any more oil on Jesus if Jesus hadn’t stopped them. I love it when Jesus speaks up and defends the innocent, as He does here. He even pays her a high compliment.
Mary was more concerned about showing her love and appreciation of Jesus than the others were, and Jesus wasn’t about to stop her. Nothing was too valuable in her eyes for Jesus.
‘It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial’, Jesus says, Matthew 26:12 / Mark 14:8 / John 12:7. Mary believed that Jesus was soon to meet His end, and she knew she wouldn’t have the opportunity to show her love by being involved with the preparation of His body, so symbolically she did it now.
Nothing can take away from the great love that this act expressed to our Lord. Mary had taken her opportunity to express her love. Jesus was soon to depart, the poor were always present to give an expression of love, Matthew 26:11 / Mark 14:7 / John 12:8, but alas, Jesus did not. Jesus said that this act of love would be her memorial wherever the Gospel was preached, Matthew 26:13 / Mark 14:9.
When we think about the disciples, they have been with Jesus for over three and a half years now, but they never seem to understand anything Jesus spoke about to them concerning His upcoming death. Mary, on the other hand, seems to have this great insight as to what is about to happen to Jesus.
I can imagine the heartbreak in Jesus’ mind when all this was going on. The disciples didn’t get it because they were too busy arguing amongst themselves as to which one of them would be the greatest, Matthew 18:1-4 / Mark 9:33-36 / Mark 10:35-45 / Luke 9:46-47 / Luke 22:24.
I believe that men like to look at the facts and the figures, while women seem to be more sensitive to what is going on around them. What a marvellous acclamation Jesus gives Mary, it’s one of those prophecies which are often overlooked and dismissed, Matthew 26:13 / Mark 14:9. This humble act of servitude that Mary performed would become the memorial of her love for Jesus, Hebrews 11:4.
She had the right spiritual attitude by giving Jesus the very best she had to offer, which is a lesson we can all learn from. Her name will go down in history because of this one moment with Christ, as the Gospel is spread throughout the world, her name and her deed will follow along beside.
This is just one of the things she will always be remembered for, but what about us today? What will people remember about us when we go to be with the Lord? I’ve often said and believe this with all my heart that I could preach a hundred of the best sermons you’ve ever heard preached, and most people would forget them within a few days or weeks or months.
But if I were to do one act of kindness for someone, Matthew 10:42, they would remember that one act of kindness all the days of their lives. Some people will be remembered for their Bible knowledge, some will be remembered because they were great preachers of God’s Word, and some will be remembered as great cooks or bakers.
Some as great singers, great hosts, but then there will always be some Marys around, who lovingly serve the Lord without making a song and dance about it. Those little acts of love speak louder than words. What will you be remembered for doing?
You can always tell when it’s election time in the UK as the political parties begin to promise many good things to come, especially for the poor. In our world today, there are many countries that are really poverty-stricken; we read about it in the newspaper and see it in front of our eyes on the TV screen. We only have to walk down our city centres to see the hundreds of homeless people sleeping rough on the streets.
I guess the question is, what are we doing about it? What are we doing to help these people? We will always have the poor among us, which means there will always be an opportunity for us to help meet some of those needs, Deuteronomy 15:11 / Mark 14:7 / John 12:8 / Galatians 2:10.
It’s so easy to focus on the negatives in this story; we could focus on Judas and his attitude, and we could focus on why the disciples seem to agree with Judas. But I’m wondering, what will people say about us when we leave this world? What will be written on your gravestone?
It’s so easy to focus on the negatives in this story; we could focus on Judas and his attitude, or we could focus on why the disciples seem to agree with Judas. But I’m wondering, what will people say about us when we leave this world?