What Do You Have?

Mark 14:3-9 (NKJV-somewhat)

I saw something new in this story today-at least new to me for this day.

Mark doesn't give the woman in this story a name, but John, when telling the same story, calls her Mary of Bethany.

Jesus was in Simon the lepers home. He obviously wasn't a leper anymore, but that is what they still called him. He was sitting at the table and a woman came into the house and broke a flask of pure spikenard and poured it over His head. This ointment was worth about a year's wages and had been imported from India.
She "wasted" it on Him and there were some there who became upset about it. They spoke disparagingly of her and acted as if they cared about the poor. "What a waste! This could have been sold for a year's wages and the money given to the poor!"

But Jesus defended her. He 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. What she has done will be told to all those who hear the gospel, and it will be a memorial to her."

These are His words that I love:

"She has done a good work for Me."

And, "She has done what she could."

She gave what she already had in her possession.
She gave what was hers to give.
She didn't try to give something she didn't have.

She anointed Him for burial.
She understood that He was going to die.
She gave Him her oil, her all, and her comfort.
She did what she could.

I think this is what He wants from us.
I think this is the good work we can do for Him.
I think we should give Him our oil, our all, and our understanding.

I think we should do what we can.
I think we shouldn't do what we can't.

God, give us wisdom and humility to accept our limitations
and to not compare our oil or our all with another's.

God, give us boldness and humility
to give what we have
and to do what we can.