After two days it was the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by trickery and put Him to death. But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar of the people.” And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head. But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, “Why was this fragrant oil wasted? “For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they criticized her sharply. But Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me. “For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always. “She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial. (Mar 14:1-8 NKJ)

Mark paints the picture for us.  The religious Jews want to kill Jesus, but they didn’t want to go into the house for fear that they would be unclean, and Passover was so close. Judas the treasurer complained that poring the oil on Jesus’ head was waste, probably telling Jesus how he could sell the oil and use the money to feed the poor. The woman may not have had prior knowledge, but she had this valuable oil and wanted to come and worship.

Our actions should always be acts of worship, done unto Jesus.  If we have an ulterior motive, then it is best we don’t do it.