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At Bethany

(Mark 14.3-9; John 12.1-8)

Jesus was in the town of Bethany, eating at the home of Simon, who had leprosy.[a] (A) A woman came in with a bottle of expensive perfume and poured it on Jesus' head. But when his disciples saw this, they became angry and complained, “Why such a waste? We could have sold this perfume for a lot of money and given it to the poor.”

10 Jesus knew what they were thinking, and he said:

Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing for me. 11 (B) You will always have the poor with you, but you won't always have me. 12 She has poured perfume on my body to prepare it for burial.[b] 13 You may be sure that wherever the good news is told all over the world, people will remember what she has done. And they will tell others.

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Footnotes

  1. 26.6 leprosy: See the note at 8.2.
  2. 26.12 poured perfume on my body to prepare it for burial: The Jewish people taught that giving someone a proper burial was even more important than helping the poor.

Jesus Anointed at Bethany(A)(B)

While Jesus was in Bethany(C) in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.

When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.”

10 Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 11 The poor you will always have with you,[a](D) but you will not always have me. 12 When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial.(E) 13 Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 26:11 See Deut. 15:11.