Origen’s comment on the “Gospel” of John 12

The story of the anointing of Jesus’ head by an unnamed woman at Bethany in Mark 14 is something of a parallel to John’s account of Mary’s, the sister of Lazarus, anointing of Jesus’ feet in John 12. Mark 14:9 records Jesus saying

“Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her”.

Some commentators as far back as Origen (see a parallel in John’s account to this statement albeit in metaphor (12:3b)

“And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume”

Here the “house” is a metaphor for the world and the “fragrance of the perfume” is the gospel.

Of this text Origen, an early church father (ca. 184-253), interestingly wrote (although conflating the three anointing stories):

We also ought to know that every good deed done to Jesus is also included in so great a gospel. For example, there was the woman who had performed wicked deeds and repented. She was able to anoint Jesus with a fragrant substance because of her genuine repentance of evil deeds, and she produced the scent of ointment in the whole house, perceptible to everyone there. For this reason it is also written, “Whenever this gospel is preached among all the nations, that also which she has done shall be tole for a memory of her” (Commenary on John 1. 67-68, emphasis added)

Rarely if at all would we use the word “gospel” in the way either Mark or Origen used the term here.