Jump Start # 599

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

I want to share with you a story that I heard recently. It is a story about two Christians. It illustrates the thought in our passage for today. These two Christians happened to worship at the same congregation and work at the same plant. One was a woman, the other a man. The man was an electrician. The woman had the role of a supervisor. The woman was truly committed to the Lord and loved to worship God. The man was not to that level yet.  Sometimes he skipped services when he could have gone. He loved God, but he just did not see the need to go all the time. It happened, that whenever the man missed a service, the woman supervisor would call for an electrician to come over to her section of the plant. She requested him. She found some work for him to do and would very kindly and gently say to him, “I missed you at church last night.” He would mumble some excuse and go back to his work. This happened often. On one occasion, she said, “We had a great worship service last night. I wish you and your family could have been there.” He mumbled that he was tired and didn’t feel like going. The plant where they worked together was noisy. There were a lot of machines running. When the man stated that he was tired, the woman, turned her machine off. It got very quiet. She turned her chair around and looked at him and said, “Do you think Jesus was tired when He died for you?” The man had nothing to say. Tears came to his eyes. That thought changed him. He went home and declared to his family that from that day forward they would not miss a church service. He realized that he had not be as dedicated as he should have been.

What’s so amazing about this story is that the woman didn’t threaten the man, get in his face, use guilt, or rip him up one side and down the other. She was patient, kind and showed real concern and love. She wanted him to experience what she had found in praise and worship of God.

The man in this story is the one who told me this. Today, he serves as a shepherd in the church he attends.

Our passage is about a woman who anointed Jesus before His death. The disciples, especially, Judas, gave her a hard time about being so wasteful. The perfume she was using was very expensive. It was not the everyday stuff. Often it was saved for one’s wedding or funeral. She used it for the Lord. The room filled with the smell of that perfume. The disciples burned with anger. Jesus, as we see so often in the Scriptures, didn’t run to the disciples side and defend them. They were wrong. He stood with what was right. He defended this woman.

It is here where we find that great statement, “She did what she could.” That’s awesome! That says it all. She did what she could do. She didn’t do everything – she couldn’t. She didn’t die on the cross – she couldn’t. It wouldn’t save us, if she had. She didn’t walk on water. She didn’t travel the world preaching the word. She gave her best perfume for the Lord. That’s what she could do and she did it.

She did it in such a way that it honored the Lord. A person can do something, but the way they do it can be offensive, rude and hurtful. I’ve witnessed some trying to “straighten” out another. The way that did it was mean and ugly. Sure they had verses on their side, but they rammed them down so hard it destroyed the person’s spirit. There is a lesson there. God’s word will do the cutting. It is powerful enough. We can’t make it any stronger than what it already is. Be firm. Stand your ground. Stand with God, but be kind. Speak the truth in love. Remember the golden rule. How would you want someone to talk to you? All that we do ought to honor God. It seems sometimes that those standing in the wrong can have a better spirit than those who are standing in the right. Truth with the wrong attitude is not a good nor successful combination. She honored Jesus.

She did what she could even though others tried to stop her. You’ll always find folks wanting to hit the breaks when it comes to doing good things. They’ll complain that no one else is doing anything, so they won’t. They’ll say it costs too much to do good. They find this excuse or that excuse. Not the woman in our passage. Sure it cost a lot for that perfume. Also, no one else was anointing Jesus. That could have been embarrassing. She was the only one. Also, the disciples were telling her to quit. She didn’t. She did what she could. It is better to error on the side of doing too much than doing too little. It is better to be too generous than too stingy. It is better to be too merciful than to be too unforgiving. There will always be some who try to stop you from doing good. Don’t listen to them, do the good.

One final thought here, she did what she could. She did it to the best of her abilities. Are we doing that? Are we doing what we could? Are you doing what you could? Could you teach a Bible class? Don’t feel like it. Getting too old. Let someone else do it. Had the woman in our passage thought that way, Jesus would not have been anointed. Everyone in that room could have anointed Jesus, but no one did, but this woman. See the point? Many can teach, but will they? Many can preach? But do they? Many are qualified to serve as elders? Will they? Do what you can do. Don’t focus upon what you can’t do or what others are doing or not doing, just do what you can. Do it well. Do it in such a way that it honors God. Do it not to get praise back, but to help others. Learn to do what you are capable of doing. Give it 100%. Grow your talent.

We started this Jump Start with a story about two Christians who happened to go to the same church and happened to work at the same company. One did what she could do. It made a difference. She changed the spiritual legacy of a family and many are being led to righteousness by his kind man’s devotion to Christ. When he told me this story, his story, all these years later, he stopped, bowed his head, and tears came to his eyes. He realized that the kindness of one person, led him to soar high with Jesus Christ. Someone believed in him. Someone cared for him. Someone did what she could do.

It sure makes us think about the people we know. Maybe we all ought to start doing what we can do. It begins with Jesus – who gave His all. He gave it for you!

Roger