No Time Like the Present
“Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, 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. But when His disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.” Matthew 26:6-9
It was near Passover, and Jesus and His disciples had walked to Bethany and entered the home of Simon the leper. Jesus healed lepers, and Simon was likely one who was healed even though that event was not specifically recorded. Sometimes when people have a descriptive term attached to their name, it sticks regardless of the fact that it no longer applies. He was also called Simon the leper to distinguish him from Simon Peter and Simon the Canaanite, two of Jesus’ disciples. Bethany was also the home of Jesus’ good friends, Martha, Mary, and Lazarus.
They were all gathered to enjoy a meal and fellowship together in Simon’s home when a woman came to Jesus bringing with her an alabaster box of a very expensive ointment and poured it over Jesus’ head. Alabaster is a type of marble that was used to make containers for perfume. This ointment was spikenard (Mark 14:3) which is a very fragrant oil from an East Indian plant. Commentators disagree as to the identity of this woman. Some believe she was Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. Some believe she was Mary Magdalene, of whom Jesus had cast out seven devils (Luke 8:2). Those who believe that it was the former also believe that the passage in John 12:1-8 is the same event as this event, but there are several differences. In the Matthew account, the location was Simon’s home, it was two days until Passover, the woman anointed Jesus’ head, and she was not identified. In John’s account, the location was the home of Lazarus and his sisters, it was six days until Passover, and Mary was named as the one who anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair. There is another account of Jesus’ anointing in Luke 7:36-50. It is highly likely that Jesus was anointed other times as He visited in the homes of His followers that are not recorded in scripture.
After this display of humility and love on the part of this woman, the disciples became indignant and asked what was the reason this ointment was wasted in this manner. They claimed that it could have been sold for money that could be given to the poor. This also happened in the account in John 12:4-6, but it was only Judas Iscariot who questioned the wisdom of using this costly oil to anoint Jesus. I must admit that it surprises me that Jesus’ disciples would actually call His anointing a “waste” of expensive perfume. It doesn’t surprise me that Judas did for he was plotting to betray Jesus indicating that he was not really one of Jesus’ true followers. But the other disciples? Perhaps they were embarrassed that they had not given Jesus such an honorable recognition, because I doubt they really cared that much about the poor. And to add insult to injury, it was a woman who showed them up.
I think that there was a more significant reason for their dismay, particularly among Peter, James, and John, Jesus’ right-hand men. I think they knew deep down what the anointing meant–that they would soon lose their best Friend. They had been told several times by Jesus that He would go to Jerusalem, suffer, and die, but they didn’t want to accept it. Their criticism of the woman possibly could have been misdirected anger toward Jesus because they didn’t want to lose Him. Peter had rebuked Jesus the first time He told them about His impending death (Matthew 16:22). To calm His disciples down, Jesus told them that there would always be poor people, and that they could help them any time they wished. However, He, in His earthly habitation, would not physically be with them always. If they were going to do anything good for Him, they must do it now. As followers of Jesus Christ, we need to be about the business of serving Him in whatever capacity He commands and whenever we are called upon. We don’t know when He will return, and neither do we know how much longer we have on this earth, thus there’s no time like the present to serve our risen Lord and Savior.