The Anointing of Jesus

The Anointing of Jesus

Matthew 26:6-13
While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.
When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. "Why this waste?" they asked. "This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor."
Aware of this, Jesus said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."
Mark 14:3-9
While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.
Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, "Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year's 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 you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."
John 12:1-8
Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, "Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages." He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.
"Leave her alone," Jesus replied. "It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me."
Luke 7:36-50

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The accounts in Matthew, Mark and John can be reconciled as follows:
While Jesus was in Bethany, a dinner was given in his honor at the home of a man known as Simon the Leper. The disciples, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were also present. Mary took an alabaster jar containing a pint of pure nard, a very costly perfume, and broke the jar open. She anointed Jesus' head and feet, and wiped his feet with her hair. The fragrance filled the house.
Judas Iscariot objected to Mary's action, saying, "Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages." Judas only wanted the perfume to be sold so that he, as treasurer for the group, could steal some of the money. The other disciples didn't yet realize this, and thought Judas had a good point. "Yes, why this waste?" they chimed in.
"Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."
It appears that the anointing in Luke is a separate incident:

• Were the owners of the house the same? They were both named Simon, but this was a common name of the time: two of the disciples were named Simon (Simon Peter, Simon the Zealot), as well as Judas Iscariot's father (Jn 6:71) and one of Jesus' brothers (Mk 6:3). One Simon is described as a Pharisee and the other as "Simon the Leper". Since "Pharisee" only means that one adhered to the beliefs of that sect, a leper could theoretically be a Pharisee, albeit a permanently unclean one. But if a man is a leper, and known as "Simon the Leper," it's unlikely he would be described simply as a Pharisee.
• Were the women doing the anointing the same? The woman in Luke is described as a publicly known sinner (v. 39). This could refer to Mary, but seems unlikely since she and her family were popular Jews (Jn 11:18-19). Also, the woman in Luke came because she heard that Jesus was at the Pharisee's house (v. 37), but Mary was most likely invited, since her brother Lazarus was there and her sister Martha was serving (Jn 12:2-3). Simon the Leper would then have known about Jesus' friendship with Mary and her family, and wouldn't wonder at Jesus' allowing Mary to touch him, as the Pharisee did (v. 39).
• Did the anointing take place at the same time? The anointing by Mary took place in the last week before Jesus' death (Jn 12:1, Mt 26:1-7, Mk 14:1-3), and Jesus said the anointing was for his burial (Jn 12:7, Mk 14:8, Mt 26:12), but the anointing by the sinful woman occurred earlier, for Jesus traveled and preached after it occurred (Lk 8:1). Jesus used the anointing by the sinful woman to teach a lesson on forgiveness (v. 39-48) to people who apparently had not heard Jesus' teachings before, for they asked, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" (v. 49). In contrast, guests at a dinner given in Jesus' honor (Jn 12:2) a few days before he died would most likely be familiar with his forgiveness of sins.