John’s account of the event is contained in the twelfth chapter of the Gospel. It begins by saying that Jesus went visiting with Lazarus, Martha and Mary. This was the same Lazarus that Jesus had raised from the dead. Martha and Mary had also entertained Jesus in chapter 10 of John’s Gospel, where Martha had complained about her sister Mary’s not helping out with the chores, and in response to her request of Jesus to ask Mary to help her, Jesus had told Martha that the better part which Mary had chosen was not to be taken away from her.
The Catholic Commentary on Scripture informs us that John takes especial care to date this event of Jesus' anointing as six days before the pasch. It goes further to state that it was on the evening of the Sabbath. The Commentary states that Mary's act of anointing was especially courteous and significant, and worth remembering for posterity. It states that the oil itself, called nard pistic had a lasting aroma. It makes especially note as well of the character of Judas, who was called a thief; how it was that Judas did not have genuine care for the poor.
The second verse of John 12 states like Mark does that Jesus reclined at table. It also states that Martha served, which is no surprise. She served in chapter 10 as well. The latter part of verse 2, and verse 3 states that Mary “took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.” Hence we see that the nameless woman in the three gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, the one Luke specifically calls sinful, is named as Mary, the sister of Lazarus, in John’s Gospel. Notice as well that John describes the ointment as being genuine aromatic nard; this hints at the fact that it was costly, and so we see that all four gospel writers agree that the oil or perfume or ointment – whatever it was called – was expensive.
John states that it was Judas who was indignant at Mary. It was not the disciples, as in Matthew, or the people at the house as in Mark, or Simon the Pharisee as in Luke, that complained, but Judas. And Judas complained not because he loved the poor, but because he was a thief. This assertion by John probably prefigures Judas’ acceptance of money in order to betray Jesus. Jesus, as in Mark and Matthew, defends Mary, by saying that the poor would be around for much longer than he would. He also states that Mary’s anointing was to prepare him for his burial, just like Mark and Matthew state (John 12:7-8).
The Catholic Commentary on Scripture informs us that John takes especial care to date this event of Jesus' anointing as six days before the pasch. It goes further to state that it was on the evening of the Sabbath. The Commentary states that Mary's act of anointing was especially courteous and significant, and worth remembering for posterity. It states that the oil itself, called nard pistic had a lasting aroma. It makes especially note as well of the character of Judas, who was called a thief; how it was that Judas did not have genuine care for the poor.
The second verse of John 12 states like Mark does that Jesus reclined at table. It also states that Martha served, which is no surprise. She served in chapter 10 as well. The latter part of verse 2, and verse 3 states that Mary “took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.” Hence we see that the nameless woman in the three gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, the one Luke specifically calls sinful, is named as Mary, the sister of Lazarus, in John’s Gospel. Notice as well that John describes the ointment as being genuine aromatic nard; this hints at the fact that it was costly, and so we see that all four gospel writers agree that the oil or perfume or ointment – whatever it was called – was expensive.
John states that it was Judas who was indignant at Mary. It was not the disciples, as in Matthew, or the people at the house as in Mark, or Simon the Pharisee as in Luke, that complained, but Judas. And Judas complained not because he loved the poor, but because he was a thief. This assertion by John probably prefigures Judas’ acceptance of money in order to betray Jesus. Jesus, as in Mark and Matthew, defends Mary, by saying that the poor would be around for much longer than he would. He also states that Mary’s anointing was to prepare him for his burial, just like Mark and Matthew state (John 12:7-8).
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