Now when Jesus was come to Bethany and was at the house of Simon the Leper, a woman came to Him with a jar of very costly, sweet-scented ointment, which she poured over His head as He reclined at table. read more. "Why such waste?" indignantly exclaimed the disciples; "for this might have been sold for a considerable sum, and the money given to the poor." But Jesus heard it, and said to them, "Why are you vexing her? For she has done a most gracious act towards me. The poor you always have with you, but me you have not always. In pouring this ointment over me, her object was to prepare me for burial. In solemn truth I tell you that wherever in the whole world this Good News shall be proclaimed, this deed of hers shall be spoken of in memory of her."

Now when He was at Bethany, in the house of Simon the Leper, while He was at table, there came a woman with a jar of pure, sweet-scented ointment very costly: she broke the jar and poured the ointment over His head. But there were some who said indignantly among themselves, "Why has the ointment been thus wasted? read more. For that ointment might have been sold for fifteen pounds or more, and the money have been given to the poor." And they were exceedingly angry with her. But Jesus said, "Leave her alone: why are you troubling her? She has done a most gracious act towards me. For you always have the poor among you, and whenever you choose you can do acts of kindness to them; but me you have not always. What she could she did: she has perfumed my body in preparation for my burial. And I solemnly tell you that wherever in the whole world the Good News shall be proclaimed, this which she has done shall also be told in remembrance of her."

Now one of the Pharisees repeatedly invited Him to a meal at his house; so He entered the house and reclined at the table. And there was a woman in the town who was a notorious sinner. Having learnt that Jesus was at table in the Pharisee's house she brought a flask of perfume, read more. and, standing behind close to His feet, weeping, began to wet His feet with her tears; and with her hair she wiped the tears away again, while she lovingly kissed His feet and poured the perfume over them. Noticing this, the Pharisee, His host, said to himself, "This man, if he were really a Prophet, would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching him--and would know that she is an immoral woman." In answer to his thoughts Jesus said to him, "Simon, I have a word to say to you." "Rabbi, say on," he replied. "There were once two men in debt to one money-lender," said Jesus; "one owed him five hundred shillings and the other fifty. But neither of them could pay anything; so he freely forgave them both. Tell me, then, which of them will love him most?" "I suppose," replied Simon, "the one to whom he forgave most." "You have judged rightly," Jesus rejoined. Then turning towards the woman He said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house: you gave me no water for my feet; but she has made my feet wet with her tears, and then wiped the tears away with her hair. No kiss did you give me; but she from the moment I came in has not left off tenderly kissing my feet. No oil did you pour even on my head; but she has poured perfume upon my feet. This is the reason why I tell you that her sins, her many sins, are forgiven--because she has loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little." And He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." Then the other guests began to say to themselves, "Who can this man be who even forgives sins?" But He said to the woman, "Your faith has cured you: go, and be at peace."

As they pursued their journey He came to a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed Him to her house. She had a sister called Mary, who seated herself at the Lord's feet and listened to His teaching. read more. Martha meanwhile was busy and distracted in waiting at table, and she came and said, "Master, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do all the waiting? Tell her to assist me." "Martha, Martha," replied Jesus, "you are anxious and worried about a multitude of things; and yet only one thing is really necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion and she shall not be deprived of it."

Now a certain man, named Lazarus, of Bethany, was lying ill-- Bethany being the village of Mary and her sister Martha. (It was the Mary who poured the perfume over the Lord and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill.) read more. So the sisters sent to Him to say, "Master, he whom you hold dear is ill." Jesus received the message and said, "This illness is not to end in death, but is to promote the glory of God, in order that the Son of God may be glorified by it." Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. When, however, He heard that Lazarus was ill, He still remained two days in that same place. Then, after that, He said to the disciples, "Let us return to Judaea." "Rabbi," exclaimed the disciples, "the Jews have just been trying to stone you, and do you think of going back there again?" "Are there not twelve hours in the day?" replied Jesus. "If any one walks in the daytime, he does not stumble--because he sees the light of this world. But if a man walks by night, he does stumble, because the light is not in him." He said this, and afterwards He added, "Our friend Lazarus is sleeping, but I will go and wake him." "Master," said the disciples, "if he is asleep he will recover." Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought He referred to the rest taken in ordinary sleep. So then He told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead; and for your sakes I am glad I was not there, in order that you may believe. But let us go to him." "Let us go also," Thomas, the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "that we may die with him." On His arrival Jesus found that Lazarus had already been three days in the tomb. Bethany was near Jerusalem, the distance being a little less than two miles; and a considerable number of the Jews were with Martha and Mary, having come to express sympathy with them on the death of their brother. Martha, however, as soon as she heard the tidings, "Jesus is coming," went to meet Him; but Mary remained sitting in the house. So Martha came and spoke to Jesus. "Master, if you had been here," she said, "my brother would not have died. And even now I know that whatever you ask God for, God will give you." "Your brother shall rise again," replied Jesus. "I know," said Martha, "that he will rise again at the resurrection, on the last day." "I am the Resurrection and the Life," said Jesus; "he who believes in me, even if he has died, he shall live; and every one who is living and is a believer in me shall never, never die. Do you believe this?" "Yes, Master," she replied; "I thoroughly believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world." After saying this, she went and called her sister Mary privately, telling her, "The Rabbi is here and is asking for you." So she, on hearing that, rose up quickly to go to Him. Now Jesus was not yet come into the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met Him. So the Jews who were with Mary in the house sympathizing with her, when they saw that she had risen hastily and had gone out, followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep aloud there. Mary then, when she came to Jesus and saw Him, fell at His feet and exclaimed, "Master, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." Seeing her weeping aloud, and the Jews in like manner weeping who had come with her, Jesus, curbing the strong emotion of His spirit, though deeply troubled, asked them, "Where have you laid him?" "Master, come and see," was their reply. Jesus wept. "See how dear he held him," said the Jews. But others of them asked, "Was this man who opened the blind man's eyes unable to prevent this man from dying?" Jesus, however, again restraining His strong feeling, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone had been laid against the mouth of it. "Take away the stone," said Jesus. Martha, the sister of the dead man, exclaimed, "Master, by this time there is a foul smell; for it is three days since he died." "Did I not promise you," replied Jesus, "that if you believe, you shall see the glory of God?" So they removed the stone. Then Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard me. I know that Thou always hearest me; but for the sake of the crowd standing round I have said this--that they may believe that Thou didst send me." After speaking thus, He called out in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out." The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped in cloths, and his face wrapped round with a towel. "Untie him," said Jesus, "and let him go free."

Jesus, however, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany, where Lazarus was whom He had raised from the dead. So they gave a dinner there in honour of Jesus, at which Martha waited at table, but Lazarus was one of the guests who were with Him. read more. Availing herself of the opportunity, Mary took a pound weight of pure spikenard, very costly, and poured it over His feet, and wiped His feet with her hair, so that the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. Then said Judas (the Iscariot, one of the Twelve--the one who afterwards betrayed Jesus) "Why was not that perfume sold for 300 shillings and the money given to the poor?" The reason he said this was not that he cared for the poor, but that he was a thief, and that being in charge of the money-box, he used to steal what was put into it. But Jesus interposed. "Do not blame her," He said, "allow her to have kept it for the time of my preparation for burial. For the poor you always have with you, but you have not me always."