She Has Done What She Could

Image Source: FreeImages.com/Ben Earwicker | Garrison Photography, Boise, ID

Mark 14:3-9

And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head.  But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, "Why was this fragrant oil wasted? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor." And they criticized her sharply. But Jesus said, "Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me.  For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always.  She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial.  Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her."  NKJV

In the above text we have a beautiful commendation of one who had done what could be regarded by others as very little but what in the eye of the Lord is the best that could be done.

I have worked in the Gideons ministry for several decades now, and I often liken the ministry to the pouring out of precious oil. To some, the expression is 'What a waste! How could you be giving away valuable books free and making no effort to investigate whether they are being read?'. This and similar comments can make the Gideons less enthusiastic and unwilling to work. But, what appeared to others as a waste was, in the eye of the Lord of the Harvest, a commendable work – preparing the Lord for His burial. It was so valued that the Lord placed it on record that wherever and whenever the Gospel is preached it would be spoken of.

In another light, to Mary herself, she had not done enough for the Master who loved her so much to heal her of her demons. What in her eyes was too small, received the Lord’s commendation. So dear Gideon and all other workers in the Lord's vineyard, your labour is not in vain. The Lord knows how to bring to fruition that which we have committed to Him. No job is too little in the eye of God and every job will receive its due commendation from the Lord Himself.

The spirit behind the Gideons ministry and Outreach ministry in general is sharing the love of God and showing appreciation for what the Lord had done for us. He loved us to the extent of dying for us. We can only show Him love by telling others about Him. There is no nobler way of doing it than by your life, your testimony and showing absolute faith in His Word – by giving it to others to discover what you have discovered. We believe that it will never return void without accomplishing its purpose. All who know the Lord’s love should join hands in sharing this love.

The harvest is truly plentiful but the labourers are few. It needs not continue to be few. Come and join in the triumphal song.