6 Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, 7 There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat. 8 But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? 9 For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. 10 When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. 11 For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. 12 For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. 13 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her. (Matthew 26:6-13 KJV)
Jesus Anointed at Bethany
In this story, we see the remarkable kindness of a good woman to our Lord Jesus in anointing his head (Matthew 26:6-7). It happened in Bethany, near Jerusalem, in the house of Simon the leper—likely someone Jesus had healed. Simon showed his gratitude by welcoming Christ into his home, and Jesus didn’t hesitate to dine with him. Though Simon had been cleansed, he was still called “the leper,” showing how the stigma of past sin can linger even after forgiveness.
The woman is Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus (John 11:2). She had a very expensive jar of ointment, which she poured on Jesus’ head while he was eating. Though this might seem strange to us, it was then considered a great sign of honor, both fragrant and refreshing. David was similarly anointed (Psalm 23:5; Luke 7:46).
This act can be seen as a sign of her faith in Jesus as the Christ, God’s anointed king (Hosea 1:11). By anointing him, she was expressing her faith and allegiance. It also expressed her deep love and respect. Some believe she was the same woman who had earlier washed Jesus’ feet with her tears (Luke 7:38, 47), showing that her devotion had not faded. Where there is true love for Jesus, nothing is considered too valuable to give to him.
The disciples, however, were offended by this act (Matthew 26:8-9). They were upset that such expensive ointment was used in this way and said, “Why this waste?” This shows a lack of compassion for the woman, interpreting her loving gesture as wasteful. Charity teaches us to interpret people’s actions in the best possible way, especially when they’re sincerely doing good, even if not perfectly. We must not criticize others for doing more in devotion than we do ourselves.
It also showed a lack of respect for their Master. Perhaps they reasoned that Jesus, who lived simply and cared little for material pleasures, would not want such things. But even if they thought that, they should not have called it waste, especially when Jesus accepted it as a sign of love. Nothing given to Christ—time, money, or service—is wasted (Ecclesiastes 11:1).
They excused their criticism by saying the ointment could have been sold and the money given to the poor. This shows how people can hide wrong motives under good-sounding excuses, using charitable causes to avoid acts of devotion.
Jesus responded to his disciples with a rebuke (Matthew 26:10-11): “Why are you bothering this woman?” It is troubling to godly people when their good deeds are criticized, and Jesus takes such things personally. He stood up for this sincere woman against all his disciples, showing how deeply he cares for those who are misunderstood or criticized for their devotion (Matthew 18:10).
He explained, “You always have the poor with you.” There are constant opportunities to do good—Scripture, worship, and the needs of the poor are always around us (Deuteronomy 15:11). But there are also rare and special opportunities that must be seized. “You will not always have me,” Jesus said. His bodily presence on earth was temporary. This refutes the idea of his continual physical presence in the Eucharist. Sometimes, unique acts of worship must take priority over regular charitable acts. We must help everyone, but especially those who belong to the family of believers (Gal 6:10).
Jesus commended the woman’s kindness (Matthew 26:10), calling it a good work. He praised it more than expected. He said her act had a symbolic meaning (Matthew 26:12): “She did it to prepare me for burial.” Some believe she understood his frequent predictions of his death better than the disciples did, and for that, women were honored as the first witnesses of the resurrection. Even if she didn’t intend it that way, Jesus interpreted her act as symbolic preparation for his burial.
Since his body would not be anointed after death because of the resurrection, this early anointing served that purpose. Jesus essentially said, “If this much ointment were poured on a corpse, no one would call it waste. This is like that—my body is as good as dead already, so her act is meaningful and timely.”
Finally, Jesus declared that her deed would be remembered with honor (Matthew 26:13): “Wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.” Her faith and love were so significant that they became part of the gospel story. Once recorded, her act was preserved forever. No fame lasts longer than the fame proclaimed in the gospel.
The story of Christ’s death, though tragic, is good news—because he died for us. The gospel was to be preached not only in Judea but worldwide. The disciples were encouraged by the promise that their message would reach the ends of the earth. Though the gospel chiefly honors Christ, it also honors his faithful followers. This woman’s legacy lives not in churches named after her or relics preserved in her honor, but in her example of devotion recorded in Scripture (Hebrews 6:12). In this way, Christ is glorified in his saints, both now and forever.