Matthew 26:6-10
Mat 26:6 (KJB)
Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,
Jesus was staying in Bethany at the house of Simon the Leper. There is not much
known about this Simon. Some scholars feel that he may have been the father of
Martha or her husband but that is only speculation. Bethany was only about two
miles from Jerusalem and Jesus knowing that He must suffer stayed close to
Jerusalem. Even though this man was called Simon the Leper, he was no doubt
healed by Jesus but had retained the name by which he was known to others.
Mat 26:7 (KJB)
There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment,
and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat.
(Mark 14:3 KJV) And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he
sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard
very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head. Some say
that this woman was Mary, the sister of Lazarus but that cannot be because Mary
anointed the feet of Jesus at their house and six days before the Passover. This
happened two days before the Passover. (Luke 7:37 KJV) And, behold, a woman
in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the
Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, A woman anointed
the feet of Jesus in Luke 7:37 but that was in the house of Simon the Pharisee.
This woman in this verse had poured the precious ointment on the head of Jesus
and not his feet. This woman was probably one whom the Lord saved and she was
showing her care for Him at this time.
Mat 26:8 (KJB)
But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is
this waste?
The disciples had witnessed this and they had become very angry concerning the
pouring out of very expensive ointment. Instead of them asking the Lord why she
did it, they instead looked at the fact that the ointment had cost a lot of
money. They had considered it a waste of money. Then they ask the Lord, not for
what purpose did she do it but rather to want purpose was this waste? After
being with Jesus for three and a half years, you would think they would already
be used to unusual events surrounding Jesus.
Mat 26:9 (KJB)
For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.
They had attempted to make a defense of their anger by stating that instead of
wasting it as she did, it could have been sold and the money distributed to the
poor. They were speaking according to the accepted standard of good works. The
value of it was approximately 300 silver denarii which would be about ten months
wages. Judas especially would have been angry since he was the group treasurer
and he would have been able to steal a good chunk of that silver.
Mat 26:10 (KJB)
When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she
hath wrought a good work upon me.
Jesus saw through the improper attitude of the disciples and immediately defends
her actions because they are associated with His upcoming death and burial,
something of which the disciples seemed to keep forgetting about. Her anointing
of the head of Jesus was a prophecy of His coming death and burial. She wanted
to show her gratitude to Jesus and therefore did not just pour out a few drops
but the entire contents. Jesus gave His entire self in His sacrifice and did not
withhold anything. Jesus asked them why are you troubling or annoying the woman?
Her action was a good work because of the prophetic value of it and that negated
the attitude of the disciples that she wasted the ointment. It was also a
representation of her pouring out her soul before the Lord, something the
disciples should have done instead of annoying the woman.