Mary of Bethany sat at the Lord’s feet and anointed Him for burial.
Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.
She has done a beautiful thing to me.
Mary of Bethany is the sister of Martha and Lazarus, in the village of Bethany. She sat at the feet of Jesus and listened to His word while Martha was distracted with much serving. He said Mary had chosen the good portion. Later she fell at His feet when Lazarus was dead. Six days before the Passover she anointed His feet with costly ointment and wiped them with her hair. He said she had done it for His burial. She is not Mary Magdelene, and she is not Mary the mother of Jesus.
- The house is in Bethany, near Jerusalem. Martha served. Lazarus was at the table.
- The ointment was costly, pure nard. Judas objected. Jesus defended her.
- The church has sometimes folded her into Mary Magdelene. The texts do not.
She sat at the Lord’s feet and listened.
Mary has chosen the good portion.
She has anointed my body beforehand for burial.
- Mary of Bethany is the sister of Martha and Lazarus.
- She chose the word at His feet over the distraction of serving.
- She anointed Jesus for burial before the Passover.
- She is not Mary Magdelene.
- Judas called the ointment a waste. Jesus called it a beautiful thing.
- Wherever the gospel is proclaimed, what she did will be told.
- The House – Bethany, with Martha and Lazarus.
- The Portion – Sitting at His feet.
- The Grief – She fell at His feet when Lazarus died.
- The Ointment – Pure nard, for His burial.
- The Defense – Leave her alone.
- The Distinction – Not Magdelene, not His mother.
- Luke 10:39-42 – “Mary… sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching… Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
- John 11:32 – “Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’”
- John 12:3, 7 – “Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard… and anointed the feet of Jesus… Jesus said, ‘Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial.’”
- Matthew 26:13 – “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.”
Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.
She has done a beautiful thing to me.
Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial.
Mary of Bethany sat at His feet and anointed Him. She is not Mary Magdelene. Do not merge the women the Gospels keep apart.
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