The text highlights the woman’s deliberate act of breaking the alabaster flask, not just opening it. This signifies her willingness to completely shatter something precious and not hold anything back, pouring out her entire devotion in a single, irreversible act of love. This gesture was so profound that Jesus declared it would be remembered wherever the gospel is preached.
And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The chief priests and scribes are actively plotting to arrest and kill Jesus, but they decide to wait until after the Passover festival to avoid a public uproar. Meanwhile, Jesus is reclining at a meal in Bethany, hosted by Simon the leper. It's at this intimate gathering that a woman, later identified as Mary, breaks open a costly alabaster flask and pours its precious contents over Jesus' head.
In a house filled with disciples, one woman sees what no one else does. Her actions speak louder than words.
The scene in Bethany isn't just a sweet moment of devotion; it's deeply symbolic. While religious leaders plot Jesus' death in the city, a different kind of awareness unfolds in Simon the leper's home.
Seeing Beyond the Present
The chief priests and scribes were actively plotting Jesus' demise, deciding to wait until after the Passover feast to avoid public unrest. They saw Jesus as a threat to their power and a potential cause of rebellion.
But in this quiet house, a woman named Mary sees something else entirely. She understands the gravity of Jesus' impending fate. Her act of anointing Jesus with expensive perfume isn't just an expression of love; it's a profound recognition of His mission and sacrifice.
Jesus Himself confirms this, stating she has "anointed my body beforehand for burial." Her action is a preemptive, loving embrace of His death and resurrection. She sees His future in a way His closest followers don't yet grasp.
Why did the disciples get so angry? Their focus on practicality missed the divine point of Mary's generous act.
The disciples' reaction to Mary's anointing reveals a stark contrast between human logic and divine purpose.
Practicality vs. Pricelessness
The disciples, particularly Judas, saw the expensive ointment and immediately calculated its monetary value. 'Why this waste?' they asked. They reasoned it could have been sold and given to the poor. Their perspective is rooted in utility and earthly economics.
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Jesus, however, reframes their concern. He doesn't dismiss the importance of the poor, stating, 'You always have the poor with you.' But He prioritizes this unique act of devotion.
This isn't about 'waste' but about 'worth.' Mary's action, though costly in human terms, was priceless in its expression of love and prophetic understanding. It was a moment of pure, uncalculated adoration that transcended practical concerns. Jesus defends her, not by arguing against charity, but by highlighting the unique and unrepeatable nature of her devotion in light of His impending death.
Understand the original words
lepros · Greek Noun/Adjective
A term for a leper or one who was formerly afflicted with a serious skin disease, denoting someone ritually unclean according to the Mosaic Law.
nardos · Greek Noun
A fragrant, expensive aromatic oil, often imported from India, used in antiquity for perfumery, medicine, and anointing bodies for burial.
This intimate act of devotion by Mary occurs just days before Jesus's crucifixion, highlighting His impending death and burial. The expensive anointing, perceived as waste by some, is understood by Jesus as a prophetic preparation for His final journey, occurring amidst the plotting of religious leaders to capture Him during the Passover festival.
c. AD 30, Saturday before Palm Sunday— this verse
Feast at Simon the Leper's house in Bethany
Jesus attends a dinner in Bethany, hosted by Simon, likely a former leper healed by Jesus. Mary, Lazarus's sister, anoints Jesus's head with expensive nard, an act seen by some disciples as wasteful, but by Jesus as preparation for his burial.
c. AD 30, Sunday (Palm Sunday)
Jesus's Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
Jesus enters Jerusalem to crowds shouting 'Hosanna,' marking his public presentation as king shortly before his crucifixion.
c. AD 30, Monday-Wednesday
Jesus Clears the Temple and Teaches
Jesus disrupts Temple practices and engages in teachings and debates with religious leaders in Jerusalem.
c. AD 30, Tuesday evening
Chief Priests and Scribes Plot Jesus's Death
The religious authorities meet to plan Jesus's arrest and execution, deciding to wait until after the Passover festival to avoid public unrest.
c. AD 30, Thursday evening (Maundy Thursday)
The Last Supper
Jesus shares his final meal with his disciples, instituting the Lord's Supper and predicting his betrayal and Peter's denial.
c. AD 30, Friday (Good Friday)
Jesus's Crucifixion
Jesus is arrested, tried, and crucified at Golgotha, fulfilling prophecies and completing his atoning sacrifice.
This passage narrates the same event, providing a parallel account that emphasizes the woman's costly act of devotion just days before Jesus' crucifixion.
John 12:1-3John's Gospel identifies the woman as Mary, the sister of Lazarus, and details her actions, including anointing Jesus' feet, which adds depth to the significance of her devotion.
Song of Solomon 1:12This verse speaks of the precious fragrance of spikenard, offering a poetic link to the high value and beautiful aroma of the ointment used, highlighting its significance as a precious gift.
2 Corinthians 5:10Jesus' statement that the woman 'did what she could' and that her act would be remembered connects to the idea that all must stand before God's judgment seat, underscoring the importance of sincere actions motivated by love.
Isaiah 53:10The prophecy that Jesus' 'life was poured out' finds a symbolic resonance in the woman pouring out the precious ointment, prefiguring Jesus' ultimate sacrifice for humanity.
calvinMark 14:1-9: "After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death."
- And it happened when Jesus had finished all these discourses, he said to his disciples, 2. You know that after two days is the passover; and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified. 3. Then were assembled the chief priests, and scribes, and elders of the people, in the palace of the high priest, who was c…
meyerMark 14:3: "And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head."
Mark 14:3-9 .[160] See on Matthew 26:6-13 . Comp. John 12:1-8 , who also has the peculiar expression πιστικῆς , either directly from Mark, or from the form of tradition from which Mark also adopted it. Luke has at Mark 7:36 ff. a history of an anointing, but a different one. μύρο…
The text highlights the woman’s deliberate act of breaking the alabaster flask, not just opening it. This signifies her willingness to completely shatter something precious and not hold anything back, pouring out her entire devotion in a single, irreversible act of love. This gesture was so profound that Jesus declared it would be remembered wherever the gospel is preached.
The chief priests and scribes are actively plotting to arrest and kill Jesus, but they decide to wait until after the Passover festival to avoid a public uproar. Meanwhile, Jesus is reclining at a meal in Bethany, hosted by Simon the leper. It's at this intimate gathering that a woman, later identified as Mary, breaks open a costly alabaster flask and pours its precious contents over Jesus' head.
The chief priests and scribes are actively plotting to arrest and kill Jesus, but they decide to wait until after the Passover festival to avoid a public uproar. Meanwhile, Jesus is reclining at a meal in Bethany, hosted by Simon the leper. It's at this intimate gathering that a woman, later identified as Mary, breaks open a costly alabaster flask and pours its precious contents over Jesus' head.
"And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head." — The text highlights the woman’s deliberate act of breaking the alabaster flask, not just opening it. This signifies her willingness to completely shatter something precious and not hold anything ba…
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Last reviewed October 2026
