Mary of Bethany loved to hear the stories of God's Kingdom from Jesus, and she spent numerous hours at the feet of Jesus just listening and learning more about God. Most women would busy themselves in the kitchen preparing the meal and cleaning up afterwards. The men would usually sit around and listen to Jesus. Mary was different, she treasured every word that Jesus spoke and sat at His feet so that she would not miss anything Jesus said.

After dinner Jesus said something that must have made Mary realize that His time here on Earth was coming to an end. She remembered that she had been saving her very best perfume for the burial of her Best Friend Jesus. Mary brought out her bottle of expensive perfume that was sealed inside of an alabaster box. The perfume was a precious treasure and was often used to prepare the body of a person after they died. Mary opened the alabaster box and poured the expensive perfume over Jesus' head and than poured the rest of the perfume on Jesus' feet. She then wiped His feet with her long, beautiful hair. The room became filled with the sweet smell of perfume. When Judas Iscariot saw what Mary had done he complained that she wasted the expensive perfume. Judas said the perfume could have been sold for a whole year of wages and the money used to feed the poor. Jesus replied, "Leave her alone, It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. I tell you the truth whenever the Gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."

(John 12: 1-9; Matt. 26:6-13; Mark 14:1-10)

Mary loved Jesus with all of her heart. She was willing to give everything she had to Jesus. She was thankful for His friendship and love, and for the miracle of bringing her brother back to life. Mary loved to listen to Jesus' whenever He shared stories about the Kingdom of God. Jesus told the others that Mary realized who He was and that He would not be with them much longer. Servants were the ones that would wash the feet of the Masters. Mary was Jesus' friend, but she took on the act as a servant because she loved Jesus and accepted Him as her Master. This was the last thing that Mary did for Jesus before He died. Jesus said that Mary would be remembered forever for the way she showed her love for Jesus.

Bible Scriptures about Mary of Bethany

Matthew 26:6-13

"While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, (7) 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. (8) When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. "Why this waste?" they asked. (9) "This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor." (10) Aware of this, Jesus said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. (11) The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. (12) When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. (13) 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 14:1-9

"Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him. (2) "But not during the Feast," they said, "or the people may riot." (3) 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. (4) Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, "Why this waste of perfume? (5) It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor." And they rebuked her harshly. (6) "Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. (7) The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. (8) She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. (9) 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 11:1-37 & 12:1-8 "Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. (2) This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. (3) So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick." (4) When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." (5) Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. (6) Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days. (7) Then he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea." (8) "But Rabbi," they said, "a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?" (9) Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world's light. (10) It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light." (11) After he had said this, he went on to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up." (12) His disciples replied, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better." (13) Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. (14) So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, (15) and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him." (16) Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him." (17) On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. (18) Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, (19) and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. (20) When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. (21) "Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. (22) But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask." (23) Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." (24) Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." (25) Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; (26) and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" (27) "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world." (28) And after she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. "The Teacher is here," she said, "and is asking for you." (29) When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. (30) Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. (31) When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there. (32) When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." (33) When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. (34) "Where have you laid him?" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied. (35) Jesus wept. (36) Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" (37) But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?" (38) Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. (39) "Take away the stone," he said. "But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days." (40) Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" (41) So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. (42) I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me." (43) When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" (44) The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go." (45) Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him. (46) But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. (47) Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. "What are we accomplishing?" they asked. "Here is this man performing many miraculous signs. (48) If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation." (49) Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, "You know nothing at all! (50) You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish." (51) He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, (52) and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. (53) So from that day on they plotted to take his life. (54) Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the Jews. Instead he withdrew to a region near the desert, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples. (55) When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover. (56) They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple area they asked one another, "What do you think? Isn't he coming to the Feast at all?" (57) But the chief priests and Pharisees had given orders that if anyone found out where Jesus was, he should report it so that they might arrest him." John 12:1-17 "Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. (2) Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. (3) 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. (4) But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, (5) "Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages." (6) 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. (7) "Leave her alone," Jesus replied. "It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. (8) You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me." (9) Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. (10) So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, (11) for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him. (12) The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. (13) They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna! " "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Blessed is the King of Israel!" (14) Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written, (15) "Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey's colt." (16) At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him. (17) Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word."

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Picture of Mary of Bethany from In Touch org.