Synopsis X:2 – The Anointing of Jesus by Mary*

KEY:   Common to all three appearing gospels,   Shared with Matthew Only,     Shared with Mark Only,    Shared with JOHN Only

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*NOTE: Some also compare Luke 7:36-50, printed here (see further comments below):

36 Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to dine with him, and He entered the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. 37 And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, 38 and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner." 40 And Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he replied, "Say it, Teacher." 41 "A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 "When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?" 43 Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more." And He said to him, "You have judged correctly." 44 Turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 "You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. 46 "You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. 47 "For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little." 48 Then He said to her, "Your sins have been forgiven." 49 Those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this man who even forgives sins?" 50 And He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." NASU

Neither R.C. Foster nor the present author believe that Luke’s passage is a parallel to the "Anointing of Jesus by Mary (at Bethany)" synopsis.

The similar features are as follows:

1. Matthew, Mark, Luke – The homeowner’s name is Simon, however a reading of the NT will show that this is a common name.
2. In all four gospels, Jesus was reclined at the table - but so was He on other occasions.
3. "Perfume" is mentioned in all four accounts, the synoptics mention that it is in an "alabaster vial". However, one might also suspect that if perfume is involved, that similar containers may be involved.
4. Only Luke and John describe a woman (unspecified in Luke) wiping perfume on Jesus’ feet with her hair.
5. Hundreds of "denarii" are mentioned in Luke, Mark, and John, but for different reasons and amounts.

However, the overall differences are more significant:

1. In Luke’s account, Simon is a Pharisee, and in Matthew and Mark, Simon is a leper. The latter charactaristic (if literal) would not typically be acceptable in with the prior group.
2. In Luke’s account, the occasion is in the midst of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee. In the other gospels, the event is in Bethany nearing the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry.
3. In Luke’s account, the issue surrounding the anointing regards the "sinfulness" of the woman. However, the issue in all of the other gospels was that of the value of the perfume and container, and what the woman could have accomplished for the poor by selling the items and using the money for their benefit.
4. In Luke’s account, the Pharisees took issue with Jesus, in Mark, unspecified persons took issue with the woman, and in Matthew and John disciples (especially Judas) took issue with the woman.
5. There are no similar phrases in Luke as is often the case when Luke parallels the gospels accounts in equal events. In this case there are only sparse, yet particular, similarities that add up to Jesus being anointed with perfume kept in an alabaster vial by a woman on two occasions while Jesus was reclined at the table in the houses of men named "Simon" .  Coincidence? Probably.

Based on the differences appearing more significant to the present author, this synopsis does not place Luke’s account as a parallel, but views his "anointing" story as the first of two distinct, yet similar, events.   However, one should realize that Luke’s account is separate in that he alone accounts for a unique event, but does not account for an event that all of the others (even John) account for.  In which case, that along with slight similarities may add up to some evidence that Luke’s account intends to record the same event.  Hence, this author holds his position with some reservation.