Jesus Anointed at Bethany

121 Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had made to come back from the dead. 2 So they made him a meal there, and he was waited on by Martha, and Lazarus was among those who were seated with him at table. 3 Then Mary, taking a pound of perfumed oil of great value, put it on the feet of Jesus and made them dry with her hair: and the house became full of the smell of the perfume. 4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot (who was to give him up), said, 5 Why was not this perfume traded for three hundred pence, and the money given to the poor? 6 (He said this, not because he had any love for the poor; but because he was a thief, and, having the money-bag, took for himself what was put into it.) 7 Then Jesus said, Let her be. Let her keep what she has for the day of my death. 8 The poor you have ever with you, but me you have not for ever.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on John 12:1-8

Commentary on John 12:1-11

(Read John 12:1-11)

Christ had formerly blamed Martha for being troubled with much serving. But she did not leave off serving, as some, who when found fault with for going too far in one way, peevishly run too far another way; she still served, but within hearing of Christ's gracious words. Mary gave a token of love to Christ, who had given real tokens of his love to her and her family. God's Anointed should be our Anointed. Has God poured on him the oil of gladness above his fellows, let us pour on him the ointment of our best affections. In Judas a foul sin is gilded over with a plausible pretence. We must not think that those do no acceptable service, who do it not in our way. The reigning love of money is heart-theft. The grace of Christ puts kind comments on pious words and actions, makes the best of what is amiss, and the most of what is good. Opportunities are to be improved; and those first and most vigorously, which are likely to be the shortest. To consult to hinder the further effect of the miracle, by putting Lazarus to death, is such wickedness, malice, and folly, as cannot be explained, except by the desperate enmity of the human heart against God. They resolved that the man should die whom the Lord had raised to life. The success of the gospel often makes wicked men so angry, that they speak and act as if they hoped to obtain a victory over the Almighty himself.