THE WOMAN WHO DRIED JESUS FEET WITH HER HAIR
The story of a woman
who anointed Jesus with an expensive perfume is well known by Christians. What
is disputed, is the identity of this lady, who is mentioned in the four gospels
but with certain variants that have made scholars wonder whether these are all
a same event, or two different ones are being described by the evangelists.
THE EVENT
A single story of
this event is narrated by Matthew 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9, Luke 7:36-50, and John
12:1-8.
THE MAIN DETAILS
PLACE: In Matthew, Mark and John, the event takes in
Bethany, on the south-east of Jerusalem.
Luke does not mention
the place, but it is assumed to be Nain, on the North-West of Judah (Luke
7:11).
HOUSE: Matthew and Mark report the event at Simon ‘The
Leper’’ house.
Luke mentions Simon
The Pharisee.
John does not
specify.
PERSON: Matthew and Mark report ‘a woman’ as the one who
anointed Jesus.
Luke mentions a woman
of ‘sinful life’.
John expressly
mentions Lazarus’s sister Mary.
ACTIONS: Matthew and Mark said that ‘the woman’ poured the
perfume on the Lord’s head.
Luke mentions that
she cried, dried Jesus’s feet with her hair, and anointed Jesus on the feet.
John mentions that
Mary anointed Jesus’s feet and cleaned with her hair.
Matthew, Mark and
John object to the high price of perfume (A year’s wages), which instead should
have been given to the poor.
Luke’s objection is
the moral quality of the woman.
ANALYZING
As an overall, the
stories of Matthew and Mark are virtually the same in all detail.
John varies only in
that it mentions the name of this woman, as being Mary, and that avoids
mentioning the anointing of Jesus’s head; whoever, this could also could have
happen, as was the current custom with honor guests, but John mentions the
feet, as being an extra act of humility and submission to Jesus’s as Lord, more
than just a guest. In other words, John’s narrative could also be the same as
in Matthew and Mark, specially since it happened in Bethany, even though the
house is not mentioned as in Matthew and Mark. All other details, including
objections, are the same, with the addition that Judas is presented in John’s
as the objector, who could be one of many.
The only other three
details to observe is that Luke’s narrative is assumed to be in Nain, but in
reality, the narrative of the event in this gospel is born without any obvious
connection to Nain (See Luke 7:36), and it could be happening in Bethany.
The other detail is
that in Luke’s the house is Simon ‘The Pharisee’, and not the ‘Leper’.
Nevertheless, this Pharisee could have been a leper at some point and known
because his social status. So, they could be the same Simon of Matthew and
Mark.
John mentions no
house owner, so here also Simon the ‘Leper Pharisee’ could also be the
homeowner.
THE SINFUL WOMAN
Everything may seem
to indicate that this is one single story, specially since many details are the
same, however, we still have Luke’s story, which does not mention a specific
place, and gives a different lesson all together, but that by mentioning Simon ‘The
Pharisee’ as the owner of that house, we could assume is still the same event
under a different angle.
However, the person
who performs the act, is called here a ‘sinful woman’.
If the story of the
other narratives ends up being Mary, Lazarus’ sister, then we would be assuming
Mary of Bethania as a possible prostitute, as Luke seems to say (Luke 7:37).
Even this could be
considered, but what totally dismantles the assumption is the current word in
Greek is a perfect indicative verb, as ‘being’ sinful, and not that she ‘was’
sinful (ἦν), as a current status, for which our Lord forgives her sins and
tells her in consoling tone of voice: “Your faith as saved you, go in peace”
(Luke 7:50), which does not concur with Jesus permanent attitude of mercy,
always willing to forgive sins, but never to allow them (John 8:11), and which
it would be totally incompatible with the friendship and believe these family
(Mary, Martha and Lazarus) had with Jesus (John 11:5)
CONCLUSION
We can safely
conclude that the narrative of this event in Luke 7:36-50, is a different
place, in a different house and with different people, as the other three
narratives. Most probably much earlier than the later episode with Mary,
Lazarus’s sister, during the last days of Jesus’s ministry.
Omar Flores.
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