Matthew 26:6-13 ESV
Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste?For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.”But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial.Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”
So much was going on during Holy Week as Jesus spent time in Jerusalem and it all proved to be very significant. In this scene, Jesus is having dinner at the home of a man they called, “Simon the leper.” It can be assumed that Simon was healed of leprosy since he was able to live in town among the people and it is easy to guess that Jesus was the one who healed him. Again, here’s Jesus, God incarnate, King of kings, spending one of his final days at the home of a leper. He truly was a man of ALL people and this spontaneous anointing of oil was a huge statement. First, it was representative of His true kingship. They anointed kings when they were set aside for service. Oil also came to represent the Holy Spirit, which Jesus would send after His death and resurrection. Lastly, as Jesus states, this was prophetic as He would die only a few days later and be anointed for burial. God’s plan was unfolding before their eyes.
Sit still for a moment… close your eyes… picture this scene… smell the fragrant oil. Now, imagine what it would be like for Jesus to come to dinner at your house. Would you be able to pour out your Gucci Bloom fragrance on his feet…?
Blessings