In conclusion, this paper has dealt with the event of the anointing of Jesus by a (sinful) woman, or Mary, in Bethany. This woman felt that she owed (ὤφειλεν) Jesus a debt of gratitude because she claimed in faith as reality that he had forgiven her many sins, even before he actually spoke the words of absolution. (Recall in this regard that faith has been described as “the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not yet experienced.”) She poured costly ointment on Jesus and drew criticism from those around who claimed she was being wasteful; but Jesus claimed she was doing good, and preparing him for burial; and that she would be well known because of her action. In the course of this paper, we have shown the literary similarities and differences in the different gospel accounts of the event; how for example Matthew and Mark tell the story in pretty much the same way, but Luke and John tell it a tad differently.
The paper has in this regard shown how Matthew and Mark state that the woman poured the costly ointment on the head of Jesus, whereas Luke and John state that she poured it on his feet. Luke in particular talks about the woman kissing and weeping over his feet, and with John mentions her drying Jesus’ feet with her hair. We have shown as well how John edited the story to include the names of Jesus’ friends, Lazarus, Mary and Martha. John it was that specifically named the woman as Mary, unlike in the three other gospels, where she is simply called woman, or sinful woman, as is the case in Luke’s Gospel.
The paper also mentioned that a central motif in the event as recorded in all the gospels is one of money. Mark, Matthew and John treat this issue from the point of view of waste when viewed against the backdrop of need. In Mark and Matthew, individuals in the house of Simon the Leper complain bitterly that the costly ointment could have been sold and its proceeds given to the poor and the needy. In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is concerned that the woman shows greater love to him than Simon the Pharisee does, very likely because the sinful woman is more convicted of her sin and her indebtedness to God than Simon is. She as the greater sinner, the one with the greater debt to God, is drawn more to Jesus in her realization of his forgiveness of her great amount of sin than Simon is, because his indebtedness (sinfulness) is apparently less. It is in this regard that Luke mentions the Parable of the Two Debtors.
The paper used the Greek word, ὤφειλεν, as a signpost in this paper, and it hints at our universal indebtedness to God, especially because all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. Unlike the Pharisee in the Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican, our realization that we have sinned and so owe God a significant debt should make us feel a sense of gratitude to him when through faith we realize that he has forgiven us, in other words has let go of the debt that we otherwise could not pay by ourselves.
The paper has in this regard shown how Matthew and Mark state that the woman poured the costly ointment on the head of Jesus, whereas Luke and John state that she poured it on his feet. Luke in particular talks about the woman kissing and weeping over his feet, and with John mentions her drying Jesus’ feet with her hair. We have shown as well how John edited the story to include the names of Jesus’ friends, Lazarus, Mary and Martha. John it was that specifically named the woman as Mary, unlike in the three other gospels, where she is simply called woman, or sinful woman, as is the case in Luke’s Gospel.
The paper also mentioned that a central motif in the event as recorded in all the gospels is one of money. Mark, Matthew and John treat this issue from the point of view of waste when viewed against the backdrop of need. In Mark and Matthew, individuals in the house of Simon the Leper complain bitterly that the costly ointment could have been sold and its proceeds given to the poor and the needy. In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is concerned that the woman shows greater love to him than Simon the Pharisee does, very likely because the sinful woman is more convicted of her sin and her indebtedness to God than Simon is. She as the greater sinner, the one with the greater debt to God, is drawn more to Jesus in her realization of his forgiveness of her great amount of sin than Simon is, because his indebtedness (sinfulness) is apparently less. It is in this regard that Luke mentions the Parable of the Two Debtors.
The paper used the Greek word, ὤφειλεν, as a signpost in this paper, and it hints at our universal indebtedness to God, especially because all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. Unlike the Pharisee in the Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican, our realization that we have sinned and so owe God a significant debt should make us feel a sense of gratitude to him when through faith we realize that he has forgiven us, in other words has let go of the debt that we otherwise could not pay by ourselves.
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