―For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes on him should not
perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the
world through him might be saved" (John 3:16-17 KJV). See Mark 16:16; Rom 5:6-10; 8:7-18; James 4:4;
1John 4:9-10.
Y‘shua loved Mary the sinner. He had a special love for her because she was a close friend (John 11:5);
however, He also loved all the other sinners who were there that day in Simon's house, including Simon.
SpikenardThis ointment is called ―spikenard", as revealed in Mark 14:3. The Hebrew Zohar (a book of very deep and
often mystical commentary), relates spikenard to the man who dies before his time because of the good
deeds he has done:
Soncino Zohar, Bereshith, Section 1, Page 56b: ―While the king was still with his company at table, my
spikenard sent forth its fragrance (Song of Solomon 1:12). ̳This verse‘, he said, ̳can be expounded as
referring to the ways of God. When God sees that a man who cleaves to Him and with whom He abides will
one day degenerate, He takes him from the world prematurely, culling, as it were, the odour while it is still
sweet; hence it is written, ―while the King was with his company, my spikenard gave up its scent.‖ The King is
God; the company is the good man who cleaves to Him and walks in His ways; the spikenard indicates the
good deeds on account of which he is removed from the world before his time.‖
The women and their alabaster boxesIn two separate incidences in the Gospels, we find two women pouring precious, perfumed ointment on the
head and feet of Y‘shua. In both cases, the women were criticised for "wasting" so expensive a gift in such
an extravagant way. In the Mark account (Mark 14:3-9), the value of an alabaster box of perfumed oil was
declared to be the same as a year's wages. Yet, these women broke their alabaster boxes and poured out
the fragrant oil to show their faith and devotion to the One who was the Messiah of Israel.
Here in Matt 26:6-13 and also in Mark 14:3-9, we find two testimonies of the same event which took place at
the house of Simon the Leper, located in Bethany on the eastern face of the Mount of Olives. In this story,
the women broke the box and poured the perfumed ointment on the head of Y‘shua. The disciples rebuked
her by stressing that this ointment could have been sold and the proceeds given to help the poor. Of course,
this was a noble gesture on their part. However, Y‘shua used this as an opportunity to make two points. One
was that He, as the Messiah of the Most High Elyon of Israel, was worth the gesture of devotion that this act
so openly showed. He said, ―The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you
want. But, you will not always have me" (Mark 14:6-7).
Secondly, He was telling His disciples that He was soon to be killed. He did this by saying that He would not
always be with them, and then likened the anointing with the perfume to the rite of preparing a body for
burial: ―She poured perfume on My body beforehand to prepare for My burial" (Mark 14:8). Y‘shua was so
impressed with this gesture that He declared that, ―wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world,
what she has done will also be told, in memory of her" (Mark 14:9). Surely, this has been true for the past
2000 years.
In the second account found in Luke 7:36-50, we find Y‘shua reclining at the table as an invited guest in the
home of one of the Pharisees. A woman who was known to be a sinner (prostitute) carried an alabaster box
of perfume into the room, knelt down and wept tears upon Y‘shua's feet – which she then wiped with her hair
as she poured the perfumed oil on His feet. In this case, the Pharisee mocked Y‘shua by saying that if He
were a prophet; He would know that the woman was a sinner. Y‘shua knew what this man was thinking and
so turned to rebuke him.
Y‘shua asked the Pharisee who is most grateful for being forgiven a debt: a man who owed a moneylender
500 denarii or the one who owed 50 denarii. The Pharisee said the one who owed more. Then Y‘shua
pointed out that what this woman was doing, by faith in His ability to forgive her sin, was displaying her
devotion for having her sin forgiven. Y‘shua chastised the Pharisee for not showing Him even the most basic
courtesy shown to guests in that day; i.e., providing water to wash His feet when He arrived (verse 44);
giving the customary "holy kiss" upon each cheek (verse 45); and pouring olive oil upon the head of an
arriving guest (verse 46). Yet, Y‘shua pointed out how the woman wet His feet with her tears and wiped them
with her hair, how she kissed His feet which were a sign of the greatest humility, and how she poured
expensive perfumed oil on His feet. Washing one's feet in the culture of the Middle East, even today, is a
sign of great humility and service because the feet were considered one of the lowliest parts of the body. In