quote:
Matthew 26:6—13 (NRSV):
Now while Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment, and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table. But when the disciples saw it, they were angry and said, 'Why this waste? For this ointment could have been sold for a large sum, and the money given to the poor.' But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, 'Why do you trouble the woman? She has performed a good service for me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. By pouring this ointment on my body she has prepared me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.'
What is the purpose of this verse?
It is hard to reconcile it with Jesus' general position of placing the poor on the top of the list of priorities.
There's an obvious conflict in this scene of course. Jesus has to be anointed. But many readers might ask "why not sell the oil and give the money to the poor like Jesus suggests the rich man do in
Mt 19:21?" And, indeed, the disciples foil out that very question.
Is the verse in question the only answer the Gospel authors could think of or does it have some deeper meaning?
And what does it say of the Jesus character?
Love your enemies!
™ Version 4.2