Jump Start # 507 

Mark 14:8 ”She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial.” 

  This chapter begins with the Jews planning to kill Jesus. They had enough of Him. Jesus was in Bethany, at Simon’s house. A woman came bringing very costly perfume, most likely saving this for her own wedding or burial, whichever came first. She used the perfume to anoint Jesus. She was honoring Him. The disciples complained. They estimated that the perfume was worth a year’s wages. Their thought, sell the perfume and give the money to the poor. Their comments and lack of compassion for what she was doing made her feel guilty. Jesus defended her.

  Jesus states three things.

1. She has done a good deed for me

2. She has done what she could

3. Wherever the gospel goes, this story will be told

  She did what she could. What a great statement. She didn’t do everything, but she did what she could. We can learn from this example.

  Often, we feel like we have to do the impossible. We get overwhelmed and frustrated and burdened with guilt because we couldn’t do it all. No one can. You can only do what you can do. No one can be everywhere. No one can read the minds and the thoughts and know exactly what others need. No one person can do it all in the congregation. God knew that. There are teachers and there are students. There are shepherds and there are sheep. The makeup of a congregation is like a team. We help each other. No one player can do it all. He needs everyone around him to help. If everyone did what they could, much would get done.

  What the woman did in the story doesn’t seem all that great. She didn’t heal anyone. She didn’t preach the message. She didn’t walk on water. All she did was pour perfume on Jesus. Often some may not understand the value of what one does. The disciples didn’t. They complained instead of complimenting. They heaped guilt instead of praise. They made her feel bad for something that was good. That happens sometimes. Shame on us when we do that. Not everyone is going to do what we do. Not everyone is going to do what we think they should. If they only do what they can do, isn’t that something to note and praise?

  This woman sacrificed greatly. If the apostles were right, this perfume was very costly, “over three hundred denarii.” One denarii is what a common laborer got at the end of a day. That’s how much the workers got paid in the parable of the vineyard—one denarii. Perfume costing 300 denarii, was a year’s worth of wages. I don’t know about you, but we certainly do not have any perfume in our house that cost a year’s salary. Most of the people that followed Jesus were simple, common people. I expect she was the same. It would have taken her a long time to get that perfume—possibly an inheritance.

  This woman used something very special. This perfume wasn’t the everyday stuff that you’d splash on as you head out the door—it was too costly for that. It would have been saved for special occasions –very special. For her, this was a special occasion. She didn’t bring some of the perfume, she brought it all. She gave it all to the Lord.

  This woman understood that Jesus was to die. She didn’t bring this because she thought Jesus smelled and this would help Him out. She understood the nature of what was going on. The disciples didn’t. They lived in denial land. Generally, a body was perfumed after death. The common folks did not embalm. Burial was immediate and the body was washed, and layered with spices and perfume. Nicodemus did that for Jesus after the crucifixion. She is doing this ahead of time. It shows her love, faith and dedication to the Lord.

  She did what she could. What she did was amazing. I don’t read of any of the apostles giving anything that costly to the Lord. If you and I could only catch her spirit and do what we could do—wouldn’t that be amazing. We talk ourselves out of it. We fear what others might say. She just did what she could do.

  As we end this year, could you say that? Could you say that ‘you did what you could do,’ or do you think that you should have and could have done more? Were there things that you didn’t do because you were just too busy? Were there things that you just didn’t feel like doing, so you didn’t? She did what she could.

  What could you do? Could you invite someone to services? Could you serve as an elder? Could you preach? Could you send Jump Starts to someone else? Could you help a widow in the neighborhood? Could you give someone a ride to church services? Could you give more?

  She did what she could. What she did was amazing. Jesus noticed. Heaven recorded it. And today, we remember it. I expect she wasn’t interested in all that attention. She was only doing what she could.

  This coming year, how about doing what you could? Think you could do that? Jesus will notice…He always does.

Roger