1. It was now only two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The leading priests and teachers of the law were trying to find a way to use some trick to arrest Jesus and kill him.
2. But they said, “We must not do it during the feast. The people might cause a riot.”
3. Jesus was in Bethany. He was at dinner in the house of Simon, who had a harmful skin disease. While Jesus was there, a woman came to him. She had an alabaster jar filled with very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. The woman opened the jar and poured the perfume on Jesus’ head.
4. Some of those who were there saw this and became angry. They complained to each other, saying, “Why waste that perfume?
5. It was worth a full year’s work. It could be sold, and the money could be given to the poor.” They spoke to the woman sharply.
6. Jesus said, “Don’t bother the woman. Why are you troubling her? She did a beautiful thing for me.
7. You will always have the poor with you. You can help them anytime you want. But you will not always have me.
8. This woman did the only thing she could do for me. She poured perfume on my body. She did this before I die to prepare me for burial.