Judas Iscariot objected to Mary of Bethany’s gift—an expensive jar of pure nard perfume (spikenard) that she poured on Jesus’ feet and wiped with her hair—because he claimed the ointment should have been sold for 300 denarii (about a year’s wages) and the money given to the poor.
- The Hidden Motive: According to the Gospel of John, Judas did not actually care about the poor. As the keeper of the disciples’ moneybag, he was a thief who wanted to steal the money for himself.
- Jesus’ Response: Jesus defended Mary, explaining that she had kept the perfume to prepare Him for His coming burial, and noted that “you will always have the poor with you, but you won’t always have Me”.
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