Before the famed “Last Supper” and His death, Jesus was in Bethany, where he entered the house of a certain man named Simon the leper. It was there that a woman came and broke an alabaster flask of very costly oil, spikenard, and poured the oil on His head. Some were indignant about this, criticising the woman, saying that the flask could have been sold for more than 300 denarii and given to the poor. Jesus then replied “Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me. For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always. She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial. Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her” (v. 6-9). This event may seem insignificant, especially since it directly precedes the Last Supper and crucifixion, but there are actually a few interesting things to be gleaned from it.
One of the interesting points to note is why some in the passage were so indignant about breaking the flask of oil. According to the account, the flask of oil was worth more than 300 denarii. In those days, one denarius was a common worker’s daily wage and according to an article, using the cost of bread as a baseline, this pay equates to around US$20 in 2013 terms, which is around S$34.20 today (2022). This means the flask was worth more than S$10,260! That it is a large amount of money makes it clear why some responded to the act with indignation. However, Jesus asks them to leave her alone, and that the poor would always be around but not Him. This statement is particularly significant, as just a few moments later would the people witness His death on the cross, and more than that, Jesus points out that she understood that His time on this Earth was limited, and was honouring Jesus and preparing Him for His death to come with this act of anointing. I think this highlights an important lesson on priorities. We should learn to prioritise things in our lives, as there are things that are fleeting and things that would be around for a longer time, as Jesus pointed out. We need to give more focus on things that are urgent and might pass by quickly, such as our chance at salvation. Putting focus on spiritual matters and strengthening ourselves in the faith ensure we are prepared for His second coming, and that we won't regret when He comes back again suddenly, that our fleeting life on Earth has been wasted.
This particular account has actually been repeated throughout all the Gospel accounts, albeit with slight differences. Matthew and Mark have very similar accounts (cf. Matt 26:6-13), but Luke and John’s accounts show quite a few differences (cf. Luke 7:36-50; John 12:1-8). While Matthew and Mark place the event right before the Passover and crucifixion, Luke and John have placed the event earlier in His ministry. Furthermore, Luke’s story has a major difference in the main takeaway of the account i.e. what the disciples were meant to learn from it, that instead of simply honouring her act of anointing, Jesus rebukes Simon the Pharisee for criticising the woman for being a sinner while not even doing half the things she has done to attend to Him (even though he was the host). John, on the other hand, goes into further detail, adding that the woman was Mary, sister of Martha. I like to think of John’s account as the linking account between Matthew and Mark’s account and Luke’s account, as John states the anointing of the feet which is also mentioned by Luke (Matthew and Mark states anointing of head), but also mentions the “poor you have always but not Me” (which is not present in Luke). It is unclear whether all the accounts are referring to the same event, and my research on various commentaries and articles has also turned up mixed opinions, but whatever the case, this account has been placed in the Bible to honour the woman and her act of anointing Jesus. It is this remarkable fact that drew me to this event, that “wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”