Tag: Do What You Can Do - Mark 13-14

Mark 14:3-9 (ESV Strong's)

(Jesus Anointed at Bethany)

And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”

Tag:  Do What You Can With What You Have

The above story has been preached upon and spoken about by pastors, preachers and priest.  Just as Jesus said it would be!!  This is a marvelous testimony to the promises of Christ - the mere fact that I am writing a devotional about it testifies of Christ’s truth.  

This woman was willing to take what she had (an alabaster flask of expensive ointment) and pour it over Jesus head.  This was an expensive way to show favor to Jesus.   There are some lessons to learn from this woman:

1. First, she was a woman.  Women were not this bold, by nature or custom, in this time and age and land.   She had to, by faith, be filled with such boldness just to consider this act of worship.  

2. This was an act of worship.  She recognized the deity and kingship of Christ.   She was willing to worship Him.  She made Jesus the center of her worship, the ointment ((as the disciples would).   

3. She exposed herself to complaints and criticisms.  She was putting herself out there for people to say anything they wanted.  She did not have a fear of man (Proverbs 29:25). 

4. She had to break something to do all this.  Sometimes you have to let go of something you are clinging to in order to worship Christ.   We like to worship Christ and “hold on to” the things in one hand and worship Him in the other.  

5.  She did what she “could.”  This is not a talented woman in regard to speaking.  She did not have a skill set, like Martha, to make a meal for Jesus.    She was not perfect in her service.  She just did what she could do.  

6.  Doing what you can gets noticed by the Son of God.   God will establish your legacy when you do what you can for Him.   

Jesus made sure her act of kindness, goodness and faithfulness would be spoken of for the rest of human history.  And, that is what we just did.