anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair."
John 12.3.
THREE of the chief friends of our Lord Jesus lived at Bethany, which was a village near Jerusalem, just on the other side of the Mount of Olives.
Their names were Martha and Mary, and their brother Lazarus.
Jesus often went to their home when He was staying at Jerusalem, and they loved Him very much, and He loved them dearly, too.
Only a little time before our Lord Jesus died on the Cross, and while He was some distance away from Bethany, Lazarus was taken very ill, and his sisters sent in haste to Jesus to beg Him to come and heal their brother.
But our Lord Jesus waited for two whole days before He set out to their help. And you must hear why.
This was not because He did not care about their trouble: Oh, no! But He had a great reason in staying away.
He knew that Lazarus was dying, and He intended to come and raise him from the dead!
And when Jesus reached Bethany, Lazarus had died, and had been buried four days before.