Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served, while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him. 3 Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. 4 Then Judas the Iscariot, one [of] his disciples, and the one who would betray him, said, 5 “Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days’ wages and given to the poor?” 6 He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief and held the money bag and used to steal the contributions. 7 So Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Let her keep this for the day of my burial. 8 You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.” 9 [The] large crowd of the Jews found out that he was there and came, not only because of Jesus, but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 And the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus too, 11 because many of the Jews were turning away and believing in Jesus because of him.
Six days before the Passover—the feast that recalled Israel’s deliverance from slavery and pointed forward to the true liberation Christ would bring—Jesus returns to Bethany. It is the village of Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead (John 11:43–44), and now a place made sacred by friendship, gratitude, and signs of resurrection. Reclining at table with Him was Lazarus—the living testimony to Jesus' divine power over death. The scene quietly evokes the tone of the Last Supper to come: a shared meal, intimate companionship, and a foretaste of sacrifice.
Into this solemn moment enters Mary, who offers something far more than a customary gesture. She breaks open a jar of costly aromatic nard and anoints Jesus’ feet, wiping them with her hair—a posture of total humility, devotion, and love. This is not mere hospitality; it is a prophetic act. In this act of self-emptying, Mary mirrors the kenosis of Christ—the Son who “emptied himself, taking the form of a slave... becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:7–8). Her offering prefigures the complete outpouring of divine love that will soon be revealed on Calvary.
The Gospel notes that “the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil” (John 12:3). The detail is more than physical—it is liturgical. In the Old Testament, the aroma of sacrifice was described as “a pleasing fragrance to the Lord” (Lev. 1:9). Now, in the house of Lazarus, that fragrance no longer signals the offering of lambs, but the nearing sacrifice of the Lamb of God (John 1:29). The fragrance fills the house as the love of Christ will soon fill the world. This house becomes, in a sense, the Church in miniature—filled with the perfume of holy love, the place where Jesus is honored, and the coming Passion is anticipated.
Judas objects to Mary’s act, feigning concern for the poor: “Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days’ wages and given to the poor?” (John 12:5). But as the Gospel writer reveals, his motives are not pure. Jesus responds not by dismissing the poor, but by affirming the urgency of the hour: “You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me” (John 12:8). His words echo Deuteronomy 15:11, which calls for lifelong care of the poor, yet here Jesus is affirming a truth even greater—He is the Divine Bridegroom soon to be taken away (cf. Mark 2:20), the true Paschal Lamb—the fulfillment of the Passover lamb who, by His sacrifice, delivers from sin and death (Ex. 12:6; 1 Cor. 5:7).
Meanwhile, the chief priests—blinded by envy and fear—begin plotting to kill not only Jesus but also Lazarus, whose very life is proof of divine power. “Because of him, many of the Jews were turning away and believing in Jesus” (John 12:11). The powers of death are now fully arrayed against the Lord of Life (cf. Acts 3:15). As Holy Week approaches, the conflict intensifies and the shadow of the Cross lengthens.
This moment in the Gospel is not just a pause before the storm—it is a turning point in salvation history. The Lamb of God is drawing near to the altar. Mary’s act of devotion—quiet, costly, and tender—contrasts with the crowds who will later shout “Hosanna!” without understanding, and with the authorities who will cry “Crucify Him!” with full intent. Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, sees what others do not: Jesus is going to die, and in dying, He will conquer death.
Lord Jesus, You were anointed by love before being pierced by hatred. In Mary’s devotion, we see the kind of love You desire from each of us—humble, generous, and full of faith. Teach us to treasure Your presence, even when others turn away, and may the fragrance of our worship bear witness to the victory You won on the Cross. Amen!
Sources
- McSorley, Joseph. An Outline History of the Church by Centuries (From St. Peter to Pius XII). 2nd ed., B. Herder Book Co., 1944.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: The Pentateuch. Four Courts Press, 2017
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Charpentier, Etienne. How to Read the Old Testament. Translated by John Bowden, 1981.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
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