Jesus at Bethany (Mt 26:6-26:6)

“Jesus was

In Bethany,

At the house of Simon

The leper.”

 

Τοῦ δὲ Ἰησοῦ γενομένου ἐν Βηθανίᾳ ἐν οἰκίᾳ Σίμωνος τοῦ λεπροῦ,

 

This is almost word for word to Mark, chapter 14:3, and somewhat similar to John, chapter 12:1, where Jesus was in Bethany, but at the house of Lazarus and his two sisters, Martha and Mary.  Matthew said that Jesus was in Bethany (Τοῦ δὲ Ἰησοῦ γενομένου ἐν Βηθανίᾳ), a town about a mile and a half east of Jerusalem.  He was in the house of Simon the leper (Τοῦ δὲ Ἰησοῦ γενομένου ἐν Βηθανίᾳ).  The identity of this Simon the leper is unknown.  However, it could have been someone whom Jesus had cured from leprosy, who became his disciple.  The people of Bethany may have favored Jesus because of the Lazarus event.  In fact, in chapter 21:17, Jesus had stayed overnight in Bethany.  There was also a story of a woman anointing Jesus in Luke, chapter 7:36-50, but within a different context.