1 Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus - the man he had raised from the dead. 2 A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate 1 with him. 3 Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar 2 of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance. 4 But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, 5 “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. 3 It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.” 6 Not that he cared for the poor - he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself. 7 Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”