anointed
A recurring theme in the Old and New Testaments is that of being anointed. In the Second Book of Samuel 12:7 (NABRE), the prophet Nathan speaks for God: “Thus says the LORD God of Israel: I anointed you king over Israel.” Throughout Paul’s Letter to the Galatians, he refers to Jesus as Christ. Finally, in the from the Gospel According to Luke 7:36—8:3 (NABRE), a woman anoints Jesus’ feet.
The Hebrew word for anointing used in the Second Book of Samuel is מָשַׁח (mashach) and means “to smear, anoint, or spread a liquid.” This word is related to the word Messiah. The later view of a coming Messiah or Anointed One looks back to the anointing of David as king and foretells a similar anointing of a new king.
In his Letter to the Galatians 3:28 (NABRE) and elsewhere, Paul references this foretold Messiah when he calls Jesus the Christ (Χριστός). This title is related to the Greek verb χρίω (chrio), a word meaning “to anoint” that typically was used in religious or ceremonial settings. The difference between this meaning and ordinary rubbing, smearing, or painting is much the same as it is in English. We typically also reserve the word anoint for religious or ceremonial use.
When the woman anoints Jesus in the Gospel According to Luke, the more commonplace ἀλείφω (aleipho) is used. In comparison with the other readings, the use of this word provides a stark contrast, more so because Jesus is the one being anointed. It’s strange to think of God’s Anointed receiving any other anointing, and it’s tempting to agree with the Pharisee by seeing this as vulgar behavior. What could this woman possibly hope to offer to God by her act? This is exactly the question Jesus addresses in his parable. He emphasizes the great gap that exists for all of us between what we owe and what we can pay. His willingness to bear that burden on our behalf and to offer forgiveness to us all is the heart of what makes him God’s Anointed.
related topics: prophecy; prophet; word of God
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The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King, a 28-lesson Catholic Bible study with an imprimatur, provides an in-depth look at the First and Second Books of Samuel to learn how the lives of the monarchs Saul, David, and Solomon point ahead to the kingdom of heaven. The unified reign of King David is seen as a foreshadowing or type of the unity that is one of the four marks of the Church—the kingdom of God—established by Jesus Christ. Click on the book’s cover to view a sample lesson.
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