Hello everyone, I'm a Christian seeking greater insight into the Anointing at Bethany. Mark 14:4 says "Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, 'Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a years wages and the money given to the poor.' And they rebuked her harshly. 'Leave her alone,' said Jesus. Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor will always have with you, and you can help them anytime you want.'" I having a difficult time reconciling this with the rest of Jesus' teachings--though I recognize fully this confusion is from my own lack of background on the passage. Jesus said "go, sell what you posses to the poor" (Matthew 19:21), so I would have expected him to scorn the woman for not selling the ointment. My intent isn't to provoke argument, I just want some insight as to why Jesus responded as he did. Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts.
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The Anointing at Bethany Interpretations
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branchofthevine
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It is because the woman was anointing Jesus for His death, and don't just cut off mid sentence as a helpful tip because Jesus says "the poor will always be with you, and whenever you wish you may do them good, but Me you do not always have. She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial. assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her" (Mark 14:7-9).
Hopefully that answers your question.
Hopefully that answers your question.
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InSpiritInTruth
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You'll also find in the account given in John, that it was Judas who was doing the complaining because all he cared about was the money.
John 12:4-6
King James Version (KJV)
4 Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him,
5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?
6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.
John 12:4-6
King James Version (KJV)
4 Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him,
5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?
6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.
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Jesus believed in helping the poor, but that doesn't mean you can't do anything else. If you take this too far, no one could ever do any art work, or spend time with a date, because the only thing they could do in their life would be one particular kind of service. I think the whole point of this passage is that Jesus wasn't quite so one-sided. He recognized that God made the world to enjoy, as well as to help others enjoy it.
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