Exegetical Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Exegetical Project - Essay Example In Mathew and Mark, Jesus is anointed in the house of Simon Peter the leper. As he sat at a table, a woman came with an alabaster flask containing expensive spikenard oil. She broke it and poured the oil on Jesus’ head. The people around criticized this action as the oil could have been sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor (Ehrman, 2004). However, Jesus defended her saying that she had done a good work. He says, â€Å"For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always. She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial.† In Luke, a sinful woman anoints Jesus when he was at a Pharisees house where he had been invited for dinner. The woman leaned on Jesus’ feet with an alabaster jar of perfume. She stood behind him weeping then began to wet his feet with her tears. She wiped Jesus’ feet with her hair, kissed them then poured perfume on them. When the Pharisee saw this, he said to himself, â€Å"If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.† Jesus replied Simon by telling him the story of a moneylender. One man owed him five denarii while the other owed him fifty but he forgave them both. Then Jesus asked which of the two were happier. Simon replied that the one who was forgiven the most debt was happier. Jesus said that in the same way, â€Å"Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little† (Ehrman, 2004). In John, Six days after Passover Jesus went to Bethany where Lazarus lived whom he had raised from the dead. A dinner was set in his honor. Mary came with a pint of pure and, an expensive perfume, poured it on Jesus’ feet, and wiped his feet with her hair. However, Judas Iscariot objected saying that that perfume could have been sold and mo ney given to the poor. Jesus replied, â€Å"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.† The four bible stories have certain similarities and differences. In Mathew, Mark, and John, the anointing occurred in Bethany while in Luke the anointing occurred at an unspecified place in Pharisees house. In all the bible stories, women did the anointing. In two of the instances, the women wipe Jesus’ feet with their hair after anointing it. In the other instance, the anointing is done on Jesus’ head instead of his feet. In all the instances, the anointing is done when Jesus is honored by a meal in all the houses. The host in three of the instances was named Simon while the other was Lazarus (Ehrman, 2004). In Mathew and Mark, no specifics are given about the name of the woman in question while in Luke, the woman is described as the woman in the city, which was a sinn er. In John, the woman is Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus. In all cases, the event took place in Bethany. In Mathew and mark, it is clear that Jesus was in Bethany while in Luke Jesus was from Capernaum and Nain which are on the way to Bethany. In John also, Lazarus lived in Bethany. In Mathew, Mark, and Luke, the alabaster box of precious ointment was used. To Mark and John, the ointment of spikenard was used. In Mathew, Mark, and John, the people around believe that the precious ointment could have been s