John 12:8

Ye have always (pantote ecete). Jesus does not discredit gifts to the poor at all. But there is relativity in one's duties. But me ye have not always (eme de ou pantote ecete). This is what Mary perceived with her delicate woman's intuition and what the apostles failed to understand though repeatedly and plainly told by Jesus. John does not mention the precious promise of praise for Mary preserved in Mark 14:9 ; Matthew 26:13 , but he does show her keen sympathetic insight and Christ's genuine appreciation of her noble deed. It is curiously mal-a-propo surely to put alongside this incident the other incident told long before by Luke ( Luke 7:35 ) of the sinful woman. Let Mary alone in her glorious act of love.