Who Was Mary of Bethany?
Who Was Mary of Bethany? Mary of Bethany was the sister of Martha and Lazarus who anointed Jesus with expensive ointment and sat at His feet as His devoted disciple.
Key verse: Luke 10:39 (KJV)
Mary of Bethany was the sister of Martha and Lazarus who anointed Jesus with expensive ointment and sat at His feet as His devoted disciple.
Mary of Bethany was the sister of Martha and Lazarus who anointed Jesus with expensive ointment and sat at His feet as His devoted disciple.
"And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word." — Luke 10:39 (KJV)
Meaning
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The Biblical Answer
Mary of Bethany is one of the most beautiful portraits of devotion in the Gospels. When Jesus visited her home, she chose to sit at His feet 'and hear his word' — the posture of a rabbi's disciple, something normally reserved for male students. Jesus defended her choice against Martha's complaint, saying she had chosen the 'good part.' Her most memorable act came just before the crucifixion, when she anointed Jesus' feet with a pound of pure spikenard, wiping them with her hair. Judas Iscariot objected to the waste; Jesus responded that she had kept the ointment for His burial and that 'wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.' Mary's worship was costly, humble, and prophetic. She understood what the Twelve had not — that Jesus was going to die.
Key Scripture References
"And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word."
"Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment."
"Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this. For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always."
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
Related Questions
Who Was Martha in the Bible?
Martha was the sister of Mary and Lazarus, known for her hospitality and her encounter with Jesus about choosing the 'good part.'
Who Was Lazarus in the Bible?
Lazarus of Bethany was a close friend of Jesus whom Christ raised from the dead after four days in the tomb — one of Jesus' greatest miracles.
What Is the Passion of Christ?
The Passion of Christ refers to the suffering, crucifixion, and death of Jesus — the events that secured salvation for all who believe.
Who Was Melchizedek in the Bible?
Melchizedek was a mysterious king of Salem and priest of the Most High God who blessed Abraham and received tithes from him.
Who Was Abraham in the Bible?
Abraham was the father of the Jewish nation, called by God from Ur of the Chaldees, and known as the 'father of faith.'
Deep Dive Commentary
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Read it in context
The answer above sits inside Luke. The 365-day chronological plan reads it in the order the events happened.
Read Luke on day 294 of the chronological Bible reading planKeep the verses to hand
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