Mary’s Very Odd Act

I’ve always thought this text in John’s gospel when Mary anointed Jesus for burial (John 12:1-8) was an odd text. I understand the theological point, Mary is anointing Jesus for his death. Nevertheless, it’s an odd story. Each gospel tells the story, in it’s own way as an odd story¹. John’s gospel is the only one where the woman is identified by name. She is Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. In John 11 we are told the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. In chapter 12, Jesus is having dinner at the home of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. And then Mary does this very odd thing.

Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’s feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him) said, “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” (He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.” John 12:1-8 NRSVUE

The next day Jesus goes to Jerusalem. We now call that day Palm Sunday. This dinner at Lazarus, Martha, and Mary’s house is about a week before the crucifixion.

I wonder about Mary interrupting the dinner party to acknowledge Jesus impending death by anointing him with perfume. Why did Mary do this? Why did she think it was important to do? The common expectation in those days was that the messiah would be politically and/or religiously successful by liberating Israel from Roman domination. The messiah’s death was not part of this expectation. A dying messiah was not considered to be a successful messiah. Yet Jesus knows and tells his disciples that he will die in Jerusalem. Across the gospels, the male disciples are, at best, reluctant to talk about Jesus’ death. Sometimes they refuse to believe him. Yet Mary anoints Jesus for his coming death, in the middle of dinner. That isn’t a dinner time activity.

I wonder if Lazarus’ dying and being raised from the dead¹, gave Mary and the rest of the family new insight? Jesus tells Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life, and everyone who believes in me will never die”. Martha tells Jesus, that she believes he is “the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world”. It’s not a big step to assume the entire family believed this. Mary, along with Martha and many others see Lazarus, who was dead for four days, walk out of the tomb.

How did her understanding of death and life after death change with that experience? Is she now unafraid of the idea that Jesus will die in Jerusalem? Is she now able to acknowledge his death, by anointing him, knowing that death will not have the final word? Rather than a sad gesture, or something done out of concern that Jesus’ body won’t be properly prepared for burial, what if Mary’s act is a confession of faith?

Historically, anointing someone with an aromatic oil (such as Nard) could have a variety of meanings. The dead were anointed. And also anointing was a sign of hospitality and honor. Kings, priests and prophets were anointed. Messiah² literally means “anointed one”. Is Mary recognizing Jesus’ death and his status as messiah? Does she now realize that all these ideas- death, resurrection, messiahship are all somehow linked together in Jesus?

Without death there is no resurrection. Does Mary now understand this in a way that the apostles don’t? Perhaps her action is not done out of grief but rather done in faith and trust? Does she now recognize that as the messiah, Jesus is about more than defeating the Roman Empire? Jesus the Christ, the anointed- one, is the one who defeats death itself. Does she anoint Jesus before his death because she knows that he won’t remain dead. Does she know Jesus won’t need to be anointed after death? Does Mary’s act proclaim the Lord’s death and resurrection?

It’s an odd thing to do, to anoint someone for their death during dinner. As John tells the story, Mary’s anointing of Jesus feet foreshadows Jesus washing of the disciples’ feet. Jesus commands the disciples to care for each other in this way and Mary does this even before Jesus’ tells the disciples to do so.

Mary’s anointing of Jesus is an act that encompasses the reality of death, the reality of resurrection, the call to care for each other, and belief in the Messiah. It is a profound confession of faith and trust and discipleship. It is an odd act. And it is a fearless act.

And now I wonder, if we were as fearless as Mary about proclaiming Jesus as the anointed one, how would the world be changed?

1. John 12:1-8 , Luke 7:36-50; Mark 14:3-9; Matthew 26:6-13 ↩︎
2. Read that story, here. ↩︎
3. “Christ” is the Greek word for anointed one. “Messiah” is the Hebrew word for anointed one. ↩︎