Washing Jesus' Feet.

C

Chomsky

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Based on the different accounts of the Gospel, which Mary washed the feet of Jesus? Was it Mary the sister to Lazarus or Mary of Magdala?
 
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The only mention of Mary and the feet of Jesus is in John's account, where the sister of Martha and Lazarus anoints His feet with expensive perfume and dries them with her hair.

However, there is no mention of the woman's name at Simon's house. What leads to the conclusion that it was in fact Mary of Magdala? Can someone help me understand this further?
 
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Upon digging deeper into this, there are two events that happened in a space of roughly one year apart. Both happened in the houses of people named Simon (different Simon's who lived in two different cities).
  1. The first event happened in the house of Simon the Pharisee somewhere in Galilee - a sinful woman washed His feet with her tears, wiped them with her hair, kissed and anointed them with ointment (Luke 7:36-50). Here, it is Simon the host who was internally grunting that if Jesus were a true prophet, He would not let the woman touch Him for she was a sinner. He then tells a parable of forgiven debt; that whoever is forgiven much loves much. He then forgives the woman. The woman is not named.
  2. The second event happened in Simon the leper's house in Bethany - Another woman at Bethany, Mary, anointed his feet with an expensive alabaster of oil (pure nard) and wiped His feet with her hair. Judas was grunting how such an expensive oil could be sold and the proceeds used to help the poor. Jesus responds that they will always have the poor among them and that the woman had anointed His body in preparation for burial (John 12:1-8). Mark 14: 3-9 and Mathew 26: 6-13 both say the woman (do not give a name) poured the bottle of spikenard oil on His head.
From these events, the woman who washed Jesus' feet is nameless, only recognized as a sinner. Mary the sister of Lazarus did not wash His feet but anointed His feet with an expensive perfume/oil then wiped them with her hair.

I've heard is used so many times out of context to the extent that it is widely accepted that Mary of Magdala is the same woman in both incidences. Most people, including preachers, portray both events as one yet they are separate from the chronology of accounts. I will need to consult extra-biblical sources to establish the identity of this woman.
 
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