While He was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard; and she broke the vial and poured it over His head. But some were indignantly remarking to one another, "Why has this perfume been wasted? For this perfume might have been sold for over three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor." And they were scolding her. But Jesus said, Let her alone; why do you bother her? She has done a good deed to Me. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you do not always have Me. She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial. Truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her. Mark 14:3-9
She has done what she could
Continuing our look at this beautiful picture of love we focus Jesus’ commendation of the act of love. What He said was not a discounting of the act at all. It was a revelation for all who had seen her gift of the meaning it had for the Lamb of God.
What special commendation... She has done what she could. When I stand before the throne of Almighty God, and when He opens the Book of Life and comes to my name, and sees all the sins that are blotted out by the blood of Jesus, more than anything else I long for Jesus to say, "Father, He is mine, and he did what he could. Many others did more. Some did less. But he took what We gave him and he did what he could." I can think of no higher tribute than that. This woman didn't have much, but what she had she gave to Jesus. What she did, she did just for Jesus.
Now ask yourself, "What have I ever done just for Jesus? How have I expressed my love to Him?" "Lord, I just want to tell You that I love You, and I don't know how else to do it, except to take the most valuable thing I have and give it to You. So I offer You my life, Lord. It is Yours to make into whatever you want it to be."
As a part of an assignment for a doctoral thesis, a college student spent a year with a group of Navajo Indians on a reservation in the Southwest. He lived with one of the Navajo families, sleeping in their hut, eating their food, working with them, and generally living the life of a 20th-century Indian.
The old grandmother of the family spoke no English at all, yet a very close friendship formed between them. They spent a great deal of time sharing a friendship that was meaningful to each, yet unexplainable to anyone else. In spite of the language difference, they shared the common language of love and understood each other. Over the months he learned a few phrases of Navajo, and she picked up a little English.
When it was time for him to return to the campus to complete his thesis, the tribe held a going-away celebration. It was marked by sadness since the young man had become close to the whole village and all would miss him. As he prepared to leave, the old grandmother came to tell him good-bye. With tears streaming down her cheeks, she placed her hands on either side of his face, looked directly into his eyes and said, "I like me best when I'm with you."
Isn't that the way we feel in the presence of Jesus? He brings out the best in us. We learn to see ourselves as worthy and valuable when we're in His presence. We can do the same for Him with our sacrifice of love.
Scripture to Claim:
From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more. Luke 12:48b
