Matthew 26:6-13
6While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, 7a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.
8When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. "Why this waste?" they asked. 9"This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor."
10Aware of this, Jesus said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 11The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. 12When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. 13I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."
Mark 14: 3-9
3While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.
4Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, "Why this waste of perfume? 5It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor." And they rebuked her harshly.
6"Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. 8She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. 9I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."
It is written 'while Jesus was in Bethany', it is specified Bethany. Now there are two places called Bethany in the Bible, one was the place near the river Jordan where John the Baptist, Baptized people.
John 1
28This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
And the other was the place was where Jesus was in a village about two miles away from Jerusalem in the house of Simon the Leper. This was the same place where Martha, Mary and Lazarus lived. Today the place is called 'El-Azarieh' which in Arabic means Lazarion or 'Lazarus' tomb'. Jesus was anointed here for two reasons. First the location and seconds the person's house.
This place Bethany was about two miles away, before entering Jerusalem, where Jesus was to be sacrificed. Jesus was the High Priest and before the High Priest entered the Tabernacle to perform the sacrifices he was anointed with precious oil that was like a perfume made of special spices and plant extracts.
Exodus 30
22 Then the LORD said to Moses, 23 "Take the following fine spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant cane, 24 500 shekels of cassiaall according to the sanctuary shekeland a hin of olive oil. 25 Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer. It will be the sacred anointing oil. 26 Then use it to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony, 27 the table and all its articles, the lampstand and its accessories, the altar of incense, 28 the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand. 29 You shall consecrate them so they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will be holy.
30 "Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them so they may serve me as priests. 31 Say to the Israelites, 'This is to be my sacred anointing oil for the generations to come. 32 Do not pour it on men's bodies and do not make any oil with the same formula. It is sacred, and you are to consider it sacred.
Leviticus 8
1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 "Bring Aaron and his sons, their garments, the anointing oil, the bull for the sin offering, the two rams and the basket containing bread made without yeast, 3 and gather the entire assembly at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting." 4 Moses did as the LORD commanded him, and the assembly gathered at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 5 Moses said to the assembly, "This is what the LORD has commanded to be done."
10 Then Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and everything in it, and so consecrated them. 11 He sprinkled some of the oil on the altar seven times, anointing the altar and all its utensils and the basin with its stand, to consecrate them. 12 He poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head and anointed him to consecrate him.
30 Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood from the altar and sprinkled them on Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments. So he consecrated Aaron and his garments and his sons and their garments.
Since Jesus Christ the Lamb of God was entering Jerusalem where the sacrifice was about to take place and since He was also the High Priest, He was anointed before entering Jerusalem.
Now another reason this place was chosen and specifically Simon the leper's house can be under stood in the Books of Moses.
Leviticus 13
1And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, saying,
2When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, a scab, or bright spot, and it be in the skin of his flesh like the plague of leprosy; then he shall be brought unto Aaron the priest, or unto one of his sons the priests:
3And the priest shall look on the plague in the skin of the flesh: and when the hair in the plague is turned white, and the plague in sight be deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is a plague of leprosy: and the priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean.
44He is a leprous man, he is unclean: the priest shall pronounce him utterly unclean; his plague is in his head.
45And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean.
46All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be.
Leprosy was a curse of God on man and any body that had it was considered unclean. There is no mention in the Bible that Jesus healed him. How could Jesus come to a sick man's house and not heal him? And it is interesting to know that at this time it was approximately seven days before Jesus was sacrificed. In the Books of Moses if a person was declared unclean by the Priest, he was locked away for seven days before he was checked again and if showed signs of cure, was pronounced clean.
Leviticus 14
1And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought unto the priest:
3And the priest shall go forth out of the camp; and the priest shall look, and, behold, if the plague of leprosy be healed in the leper;
4Then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop:
5And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water:
6As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water:
7And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose into the open field.
8And he that is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, and shave off all his hair, and wash himself in water, that he may be clean: and after that he shall come into the camp, and shall tarry abroad out of his tent seven days.
9But it shall be on the seventh day, that he shall shave all his hair off his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair he shall shave off: and he shall wash his clothes, also he shall wash his flesh in water, and he shall be clean.
Secondly the name Simon came from the name Simeon (Hebrew - to hear or understand). Simeon was the second son of Jacob and was cursed by Jacob for he had tried to sort a problem him self with out consulting God or Jacob. The curse on him was that his tribe would be scattered through out the land of Israel.
Genesis 49
5 "Simeon and Levi are brothers
their swords are weapons of violence.
6 Let me not enter their council,
let me not join their assembly,
for they have killed men in their anger
and hamstrung oxen as they pleased.
7 Cursed be their anger, so fierce,
and their fury, so cruel!
I will scatter them in Jacob
and disperse them in Israel.
It other words on that day it meant that the Lord was going to heal man by His sacrifice, those people who come to Him (It was only the priest who could pronounced clean. The unclean person had to go to meet the priest who would stand at the gate to pronounce him clean.) and would gather His people who were scattered through out the land.
Luke 5
12 While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean."
13 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" And immediately the leprosy left him.
14 Then Jesus ordered him, "Don't tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them."
Luke 17
11 Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 13and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"
14 When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed.
Another thing to learn in these scriptures is that Jesus (The Word of God) is to be given more priority than helping the sick.
1 Samuel 15
22But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD ? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
So it is more important to keep the Word of God than to do the work of looking after the people. First it is important to understand the Word of God and keep it.
Galatians 2:16
16Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
The law that Paul was talking about was the Law of Moses. This was also the Word of God because it was God Himself who gave the law. How is it then that there is a difference between keep the law and faith? Faith it self means 'Trusting God for His Word'. If the law also was the Word of God then what was the difference?
Paul here clearly specifies 'by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified' which means understanding and following the Word of God in Spirit is what will be justified not just doing the Word of God in it's literal text. Jesus Himself kept the Law of Moses but yet the Pharisees accused Him of breaking it, since they themselves did not understand it. So understand the Word of God in spirit and live it.
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