The Sweet Fragrance of Pure Worship

All four Gospels give an account of Jesus being anointed by a woman as an act of worship. In Matthew and Mark, Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha, anoints Jesus’ head in Bethany following the Triumphal Entry. In Luke an unnamed woman who was a notorious sinner anoints Jesus’ feet and wipes them with her hair in the home of Simon the Pharisee in Galilee. In John these two anointings are combined. Mary of Bethany anoints Jesus’ feet and wipes them with her hair just before the Triumphal Entry. But in all four accounts the woman is criticized by someone for her extravagant worship, yet defended and commended by Jesus.