Ask a Minister - Was Jesus anointed once or twice?

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Question: I have been studying the story about the woman that anointed Jesus with oil. Question One: Was Jesus anointed once or twice? One place says His head was anointed and in one place it says His feet were anointed. My search keeps coming up with differences in the telling of the event.

Question Two: Was Mary, sister of Lazarus and Martha, also the town harlot?

Question Three: Did Lazarus (that Jesus raised from the dead) die a leper?

I have searched and searched to see if these scriptures in the gospels are indeed talking about the same event. I tend to think they are. I still continue to have questions, like 'How did the woman aquire such a valuable amount of oil and perfume?' It was a few days until Passover. Was the oil and perfume in great demand, especially at that time?

This one story, I feel has such a message for the church today. Just the sweet abandonment of worship, and the hunger to be in His presence, the pressing in, no matter what others think. (She was ridiculed for her "waste.") The way the Lord acknowledged her and gave His approval. I just really have wanted to dig in and find out all I can about this. I would appreciate your input.

Answer: We are grateful for your interest in the Word of God.

Response to Question One:

There are four mentions in the Gospels of Jesus being anointed. Three of them appear to be the same account of a singular event (Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; John 12: 1-8). These occurred just prior to the last week of Christ's life. Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha, anoints Jesus' head and feet. It was common for the head of an individual to be anointed but the anointing of the feet demonstrated the extreme worth of the Savior in her eyes and her personal attachment to Him. The scripture describes the act as being done for His burial. This was probably not understood by Mary, but Christ recognized it was for proper preparation.

The other instance found in Luke 7:37-50 would appear to be a separate instance, some time during Christ's second year of ministry. In this case, a woman who was a great sinner anointed Christ's feet. Some have supposed that this woman was Mary Magdalene, but there is no scriptural basis for this assumption.

Response to Question Two:

Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha, was not the town harlot.

Response to Question Three:

Lazarus and Simon the leper, mentioned in the accounts, are two different people. Simon was probably a relative of Lazarus with whom Mary, Martha, and Lazarus lived, at least for a time. Since lepers were unclean and restricted from fellowship with uninfected individuals, Simon may have been a leper who had been healed by Christ.

The alabaster box was rare and the perfume difficult to obtain. This made this a valuable sacrifice although the breaking of the box may only mean the breaking of the seal. The perfume itself was very costly due to the fact that it was imported from northern India. In the instance in Luke's Gospel, it may be that the perfume was obtained by the profit of the woman's ungodly life. In Mary's case though, the perfume could have been part of an inheritance which would make it of even greater value. It could also be something for which she had saved a long time.

Your application is very appropriate. It demonstrates the unreserved giving of oneself to Christ. One additional thing that I note is that Judas complains about the waste of the perfume, when sadly a greater waste is taking place in his life. Judas casts aside the Savior and plunges himself headlong into a lost eternity.

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This page was last updated September 14, 2010.