The event of the anointing of Jesus with oil by a woman occurs in all four Gospels, even if not in exact same detail. Matthew and Mark say the event took place in the house of Simon the Leper (Matt. 26:6; Mark 14:3). Luke says the event took place in the house of “one of the Pharisees,” who had invited Jesus to have dinner with him (Luke 7:36). John in turn says the event occurs in the house of Lazarus, Martha and Mary (John 12:1-3). In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, the identity of the woman is not revealed. The Catholic Commentary on Scripture states in this regard: “If [the gospels] omit to name her, it is only in harmony with their delicate reserve.”]In John however, she is revealed to be Mary, the sister of Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Luke in any case describes her as a sinful woman who should not have been permitted to touch the body of a prophet such as Jesus (Luke 7:39). Furthermore, according to C.H. Dodd (Historical Tradition, 162-173), the pericope is not similar in all the gospels because of oral traditions, especially Lucan and Johanine traditions.
Another discrepancy to note in the rendering of the passage in the different gospels is that Matthew and Mark say that the woman poured the ointment on the head of Jesus (Matt. 26:7; Mark 14:3), while Luke and John both say she poured the ointment on his feet (Luke 7:38; John 12:3). The actual words used, and the characters that used them, also differ from one gospel account to another. John’s Gospel for example mentions Judas (John 12:4-6). All four gospels in any case hint at the concept of money or wages or debt, and so it is clear that finance is a central concern in this passage. This paper will treat this theme in due course. All the foregoing are hinted at on page 137 of Jerome's Biblical Commentary.
Another discrepancy to note in the rendering of the passage in the different gospels is that Matthew and Mark say that the woman poured the ointment on the head of Jesus (Matt. 26:7; Mark 14:3), while Luke and John both say she poured the ointment on his feet (Luke 7:38; John 12:3). The actual words used, and the characters that used them, also differ from one gospel account to another. John’s Gospel for example mentions Judas (John 12:4-6). All four gospels in any case hint at the concept of money or wages or debt, and so it is clear that finance is a central concern in this passage. This paper will treat this theme in due course. All the foregoing are hinted at on page 137 of Jerome's Biblical Commentary.
According to Jerome's Biblical Commentary as well, the story as presented by Luke in particular broaches the theme of the relationship Jesus had with the Pharisees, especially as such relationship revealed itself in interpersonal situations, in this case with the “eating and drinking Jesus.” This paper will discuss this theme a bit further subsequently. Also, according to Josef Blank, the ceremony of feet washing, whether performed by a woman for Jesus' benefit or by Jesus for his disciples' benefit, shows “the manifestation of the highest, freest, and truest love the world has ever known, a love that gives all humanity an inkling of what God really is, namely the God characterized by such love as this.” In view of the foregoing statement, which this paper agrees with, I will argue that we owe such a God the humble gratitude of devotion owing to his forgiveness of our sins.
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