Although this painting is titled, "Mary Magdalene Washes Jesus's Feet," most biblical scholars do not think that the anointing woman in Luke 7 is Mary Magdalene. There have been many legends confusing Mary Magdalene and the alabaster jar stories, and numerous peices of art present these alternative stories.

This painting is brimming with action. You almost cannot tell where to focus your eyes. There are people everywhere, men, women, and children, and they are drawn in various positions of movement. This does not appear to be a quiet dinner party. When we read the narrative in Luke 7 about Jesus attending dinner at the home of Simon, the Pharisee, we only know that other pharisees are present, but the scene definitely could have included many other people. In the past, I have imagined a quiet and small event. In a quaint setting, the woman arriving and anointing Jesus with her perfume and tears would be an immediate and obvious interruption. But what if the scene looked more like this etching? She could have gone undetected for a few precious moments before being called out as a sinner by Simon. This would have brought attention to her quickly and placed her in the spotlight. Jesus takes care of her. He does not address her, but answers Simon's accusations. This would have moved the spotlight center stage on the host of the event, the one who was supposed to have performed the acts of hospitality, but neglected. Jesus keeps her out of the discussion as he presents a parable to Simon to catch him in his error. Jesus never accuses the woman of anything or rebukes her in any way. He honors her actions and pronounces peace on her.