While struggling with this question as a church songwriter, I came up with six guidelines.
Holy Week | Monday of Holy Week (Year A Year B Year C)
Isaiah 42:1-9 (Psalm 36:5-11); Hebrews 9:11-15; John 12:1-11
Were Mary and Martha at the Last Supper? It’s possible.
Reading and preaching Hebrews without supersessionism
Judas is right: what Mary does makes no sense.
Several years ago I taught a Sunday School class on the Saint John's Bible, a beautiful hand-calligraphed and illustrated version of the Bible that took several years and a whole team of artists to create. I showed the class a video about how the project came together, and the class was spellbound, as I knew they'd be. The illuminations make you want to lean into the scripture. The Saint John's Bible fosters awe and wonder toward the God who gives us not only the sacred story but also the artists who make it come alive. Near the end of the video, the narrator shares the cost of this tremendous project.
After the anointing at Bethany, Judas asks why the fragrance wasn't sold and the money given to charity. A more apt question might be why Mary didn't use it on her brother Lazarus, dead just a few days before.