From Jericho, Jesus and his disciples went up the mountains, and came to Bethany, where his friends Martha and Mary lived, and where he had raised Lazarus to life.  Many people in Jerusalem heard that Jesus was there, and they went out of the city to see him, for Bethany was only two miles from Jerusalem.  Some came also to see Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead; but the rulers of the Jews said to each other: 

“We must not only kill Jesus, but Lazarus, also; because on his account so many of the people are going after Jesus and are believing on him.”

The friends of Jesus in Bethany made a supper for Jesus, at the house of a man named Simon.  He was called “Simon the leper”; and perhaps he was one whom Jesus had cured of leprosy.  Jesus and his disciples, with Lazarus, leaned upon the couches around the table, as the guests; and Martha was one of those who waited upon them.  While they were at the supper, Mary, the sister of Lazarus, came into the room, carrying a sealed jar of very precious perfume.  She opened the jar, and poured some of the perfume upon the head of Jesus, and some upon his feet; and she wiped his feet with her long hair.  And the whole house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

But one of the disciples of Jesus, Judas Iscariot, was not pleased at this.  He said:  “Why was such a waste of the perfume made?  This might have been sold for more than forty-five dollars, and the money given to the poor!”

This he said, but not because he cared for the poor.  Judas was the one who kept the bag of money for Jesus and the twelve; and he was a thief, and took away for his own use all the money that he could steal.  But Jesus said: 

“Let her alone; why do you find fault with the woman?  She has done a good work upon me.  You have the poor always with you, and whenever you wish, you can give to them.  But you will have me with you only a little while.  She has done what she could; for she has come to perfume my body for its burial.  And truly I say to you, that wherever the gospel shall be preached throughout all the world, what this woman has done shall be told in memory of her.”

[Illustration:  She wiped his feet with her hair]

Perhaps Mary knew what others did not believe, that Jesus was soon to die; and she showed her love for him, and her sorrow for his coming death, by this rich gift.  But Judas, the disciple who carried the bag, was very angry at Jesus; and from that time he was looking for a chance to betray Jesus, or to give him up to his enemies.  He went to the chief priests, and said:  “What will you give me, if I will put Jesus in your hands?”

They said, “We will give you thirty pieces of silver.”

And for thirty pieces of silver Judas promised to help them take Jesus, and make him their prisoner.

On the morning after the supper at Bethany, Jesus called two of his disciples, and said to them: