What does Matthew 26:6 mean?

Matthew describes an unusual event in Bethany, two miles east of Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives. Jesus had previously stayed in Bethany, at the home of His friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus (John 11:1). Now, Matthew finds Jesus sharing a meal at the home of a man identified as "Simon the leper," mentioned only here in the New Testament.

Though the text does not mention it, it is very likely Jesus healed this Simon from his leprosy. The law required people with this disease to live apart from others. If he still carried the illness, all those who ate with him would have been officially unclean during the Passover celebration. Further, the fear and stigma associated with diseases like leprosy would have made a gathering in his home impossible. Everyone would have kept their distance if Simon had not been given a clean bill of health.