Mark 14:3
- Simon the leper may have been the leper that Jesus healed in Mark 1:40-41.
- According to John, this anonymous woman was called Mary and was the sister of Martha and Lazarus (John 12:1-8).
- The “alabaster bottles” had a long, narrow neck that broke when the oil was used.
- It was a Jewish custom to anoint the heads of their guests at feasts (Ps23:5, Luke 7:46).
Mark 14:4-5
- A “denarius” was a Roman silver coin that was equivalent to a day’s wage for a worker. In other words, Mary spent almost an entire year’s wages on Jesus.
- Mary showed her devotion to Jesus and this causes jealousy and irritation among the other disciples. From this we should learn today not to look down on people who openly show their love for Jesus, even if they do so in a way that we find inappropriate.
Mark 14:6
- In the kingdom of God the conditions are not the same as in the world. In God’s kingdom, why you do something is more important than how much it costs.
- Jesus criticizes the disciples for looking at this situation with worldly eyes and instead praises Mary for showing tremendous affection and love.
- Mary does not respond to the attacks herself, but instead lets Jesus defend her.
Mark 14:8
- Jesus’ imminent death was not news to the disciples; Jesus had told them several times (Mark 8:31-33, Mark 9:30-32, Mark 10:32-34).
- The difference between the disciples and Mary was that the disciples did not believe Jesus when he said he was going to die (Mark 8:31-33) while Mary listened to Jesus, believed in him and now acted on her faith and therefore anointed him before his death.