She hath done what she could: she is come beforehand to anoint my body for the burial.
ο εσχεν αυτη εποιησεν προελαβεν μυρισαι μου το σωμα εις τον ενταφιασμον
6 Church Fathers comment on this verse
He also admonishes Judas, stating, ‘She has done this in preparation for my burial,’ exposing his lack of shame. It is as if he is saying to Judas, ‘You, who will bring about my death, should not feel guilty, yet does she merit your scorn for bringing the myrrh to prepare me for burial, following the divine prompting?’
Judas inquired with what appeared to be a harmless question, yet the Lord responded with simplicity and humility, revealing the significance of Mary’s actions: that He was destined to die, and that His body required an anointing for His burial. It was as if He were communicating that once He was gone, she could not anoint Him; instead, she had performed what she could by preparing His body for burial.
On His journey from Jericho to Jerusalem, the Lord passed near Bethany, where He stopped. During this time, crowds of faithful had gathered in Jerusalem, declaring that the long-awaited Messiah was near. It was likely the Sabbath, meaning the people remained at a distance, as Bethany was beyond the permitted Sabbath travel of a thousand paces from Jerusalem. It was six days prior to Passover. While in Bethany, He dined at the home of Simon, formerly a leper. Martha was fulfilling her role by overseeing the meal's preparation. Present at the gathering was Lazarus, who had been raised from the dead. The Evangelist mentions him potentially to illustrate either his complete health or the unique honor afforded to someone who had returned from death.
As one of Lazarus' sisters tended to the meal, the other, Mary, perhaps feeling she had missed an opportunity to express her gratitude for her brother's resurrection due to the urgency of Jesus' departure, sought to remedy this by honoring Him. It was customary for the Jews to wash their guests' feet and anoint their heads and feet with fragrant oils before a meal. Mary was eager to perform this act of devotion for her Savior. Without consideration for the cost, she brought forth a flask of pure, exquisite nard and poured it over the Lord's head and feet, wiping them with her hair as an expression of her humble submission before Him.
The response to her actions varied among the disciples. They felt that selling the nard for the sake of the poor would have been more beneficial. They were motivated by recent events involving Zacchaeus and their ongoing commitment to aiding those in need. However, one disciple harbored a different motivation. This disciple, who managed the group's modest funds, was more interested in exploiting the sale for his own benefit under the guise of aiding the needy. Yet, the Lord defended Mary and dismissed the reasoning of the others. He consistently sought to prepare them for His impending absence, stating that the poor would always be present, but He would not always be with them. He regarded Mary's anointing as a sacred preparation for His burial, asserting that if lavish expenditures are made for a burial, it is fitting that no measures be spared now, emphasizing that His followers should not be so calculating in their actions toward Him.
This woman, as though bidding Me farewell, took every opportunity to prepare My body for the imminent burial. You show kindness to the needy, which is admirable; however, the poor will always be present among you, and you are able to aid them at any time. Yet, you will not have Me with you much longer.
Christ, in sadness, discerned Judas' treacherous and greedy intentions, yet this time He offered only a gentle rebuke, defending Mary who had already faced criticism. "Why do you trouble this woman?" He asked. "Let her be; she has performed a beautiful deed for Me. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have Me. This ointment was kept for the day of My burial." He further proclaimed a prophecy that has been miraculously realized throughout the ages, that wherever the Gospel is shared, her act will be remembered with reverence.
She "did what she could": within the limits of her understanding and resources, she demonstrated her love and fervor for me. In doing so, perhaps unknowingly, she accomplished a significant act of love and faith, laying the groundwork for what was to follow in accordance with Jewish customs at the burial of the Savior just days later.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 11 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS