Matthew · New Testament · Matthew 26:6–13
Anointed at Bethany
The Story
While Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, a woman came to Him carrying an alabaster jar filled with a very expensive perfume and poured it over His head as He was reclining at the table — an extravagant and deeply personal act of devotion that immediately drew sharp and angry criticism from the disciples who witnessed it. The disciples were indignant and complained loudly that the perfume could have been sold for a great deal of money and the proceeds given to the poor — framing their objection in the language of charity while entirely missing the profound significance of what the woman had just done. Jesus immediately came to her defense with a tenderness and firmness that silenced the room — telling them to leave her alone and asking why they were bothering her, declaring that she had done a beautiful thing to Him. He acknowledged that the poor would always be with them and that there would always be opportunities to help them, but that He would not always be physically present with them — and then He revealed the deeper meaning of her act that she herself may not have fully understood, saying that in pouring the perfume on His body she had prepared Him for burial. Jesus then made a remarkable and enduring promise — that wherever the Gospel was proclaimed throughout the entire world, what this woman had done would also be told in memory of her, an extraordinary honor that has been fulfilled in every generation since.
The Message
The woman's extravagant act of worship was misunderstood by everyone in the room except Jesus — who recognized it as a beautiful and perfectly timed anointing for His coming death, reminding us that wholehearted devotion to Jesus will sometimes be criticized by others but is never wasted in His eyes.