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It was the third year of Jesus’ public ministry. He stopped in Bethany before attending the last Passover in His earthly life in Jerusalem. The villagers, including Lazarus, Martha and Mary, held a celebratory dinner in Jesus’ honor at the home of a certain Simon “the leper.” Lazarus and his sisters, who had been raised from the dead, were wealthy enough to have a home in Bethany, they believed in Yeshua and they all accepted Him as a close friend rather than as a preacher. Bethany was a quiet village, “the house of figs and consolation” in Hebrew. Surrounded by fig orchards on picturesque hills, it was located very close to Jerusalem.

As the dinner was drawing to a close, Mary, Lazarus’ sister, came to the place where Jesus was reclining as the most honored guest and opened (or broke in a special way) a large alabaster vessel of the rarest and most expensive perfume. After anointing the Teacher’s head, she began to pour oil on His feet, wiping them with her long, loose hair. Such were the customs of that time. The whole house was filled with a subtle fragrance, and everyone watched this unusual act in awkward silence. However, at least one person immediately found himself condemning this incomprehensible act of Mary. The fact is that the cost of this oil was unusually high – having sold it, it was possible to feed a hundred people, if not more. Judas Iscariot said loudly enough for everyone to hear: “Why was this fragrant oil not sold and the poor fed with the proceeds?” The interesting fact is that this is the only moment in the Gospels where a potential reason for Judas Iscariot’s resentment towards Jesus may be hidden: Jesus responded to Judas’ remark publicly and without delay.

Interestingly enough, the evangelists Mark and Matthew do not mention Mary by name: for them, she was “a certain woman.” Luke does not mention this story either, but tells another story at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry in Capernaum, when a certain unnamed former sinner “poured” oil on Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair with tears. And only John, who wrote the Gospel after the destruction of Jerusalem, freely mentions Lazarus’ sister. There is a version that the evangelists Mark, Luke, and Matthew deliberately omitted mentions of Martha, Mary, and the resurrection of Lazarus in order to prevent the revenge of the Orthodox Jews.

Jesus, seeing and hearing the reaction of Judas and some others, stood up for Mary and said something like this: “Do not disturb her – she did a good deed for me. You will always have the poor with you and will be able to help them at any time. I am soon going to the Heavenly Father. This woman saved the oil for the day of my burial and anointed my body before my death. Her deed will be remembered wherever the Gospel is preached.”

In ancient Israel at the time of Jesus, anointing with oil had deep cultural and religious significance, and understanding it greatly helps to understand the symbolism of the episode at Bethany. Anointing with oil is the practice of pouring and rubbing in fragrant oil (oil is olive oil, often with added spices such as myrrh, nard, cassia). Anointing took place in everyday life: after a journey or work, a guest might be anointed by the host (or a servant) for refreshment. It was a sign of respect, especially at feasts. In religious and official rites, the anointing of kings, priests, and prophets was a sign of divine election, for which oil was prepared according to a special recipe and was considered sacred and very expensive. Such oil could not be used for ordinary purposes. In the funeral ritual, the body of the deceased was treated with fragrant oils and incense to slow down decomposition and to express respect. Sometimes anointing was done while a person was still alive, if his death was near and obvious – as a sign of farewell and honor. The expensive oil that Mary used was either a sign that Jesus was being honored with some sacred dedication, or a harbinger of his impending death. Jesus chose the second meaning. He accepted the anointing as preparation for burial.

By this time, Jesus had mentioned his death in Jerusalem several times. As we know, Jesus’ apostles either did not understand His words or did not believe them and interpreted everything in their own way. And Mary, apparently, took Jesus’ warnings very seriously: she believed and accepted the fact of the Teacher’s future death. She did not argue with Him like Peter, but intuitively arranged a kind of solemn farewell. After Jesus’ words, there was probably a deathly silence in the room and those who understood, appreciated the significance of the moment. And yes, Mary’s act has always been and will be part of the Gospel narrative, as a sign of selfless faith and deep love for Jesus.