Women with Jesus

Each Gospel has a story of an anointing of Jesus by a woman (Matt. 26:6–13; Mark 14:3–9; John 12:1–8). There are good reasons for thinking that the other three are describing one and the same incident, but Luke a different one. They refer to an incident in the last week of Jesus’ life, Luke to one much earlier. The ‘sinner’ of Luke’s account wet Jesus’ feet with tears, wiped them with her hair, kissed and anointed them, which is different from what we read in the other accounts, as is the ensuing discussion. In Luke it is concerned with love and forgiveness, in the others with selling the unguent and giving to the poor. There is no reason for holding that the woman in the other Gospels was ‘a sinner’ (John says she was Mary of Bethany). Some have held that Luke’s ‘sinner’ was Mary Magdalene, but this is sheer speculation.

36. A Pharisee named Simon (40) invited Jesus to a meal. Simon is the host’s name in Matthew and Mark (‘Simon the leper’), but the name was very common and does not prove identity. It is a mark of Jesus’ broad sympathies that he dined earlier with a publican (5:29) and now with a Pharisee.