Mary of Bethany, a sister in a family loved by Jesus, is remembered for sitting at the Lord's feet to hear his word and anointing his feet with costly ointment.
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Mary of Bethany appears in the Gospel of Luke as the sister of Martha, living in Bethany with her sibling and their brother Lazarus. When Jesus visited their home, Mary chose to sit at the Lord's feet and hear his word. This posture was regarded in early Christian tradition as the model of a disciple—one who humbly receives teaching at the Master's feet. In the Gospel of John, Mary is again seen in Bethany. There she took a pound of costly ointment of pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus, wiping them with her hair, so that the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment. Across the Gospel witness, this act is remembered as an extravagant devotion that pointed forward to his burial. Mary's deed revealed her wholehearted love for the Lord, expressing faith through willing sacrifice, pouring out what was most precious at his feet without counting the cost. Mary's service was not defined by busy activity but by intimacy with the Lord. Her story has left a twofold example for believers through the ages: the quiet, listening posture of a disciple at Jesus' feet, and the lavish, unrestrained love of one who pours out her treasure upon him. Together with her sister Martha and brother Lazarus, she belonged to a family loved by Jesus and remembered with affection in the church's memory.