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.” Mark 14:3–8
If you knew your life would end this week, how would you spend your final days, and with whom? During the week prior to the crucifixion, Jesus appears to have spent a lot of time with His disciples in the house of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus with the full knowledge that the end was near. In light of Jesus’ revelation of His imminent death, what could anyone do? When Jesus brought it up in Caesarea, Peter rebuked Him, but what could his reproof avail (Matt. 16:21–23) if even Jesus’ most earnest prayers could not effect the removal of the cup of His suffering (26:39–44) and if an angelic rescue—though available to Him (26:53)—would only defeat His mission? Considering all that couldn’t be done, a mood of desperation set in (cf. John 14:1), and yet one woman found something she could do: if she could not prevent His death, she could at least anoint His body for burial! When these great men could do nothing, this woman (Mary, cf. John 12) did what she could, and her work lives forever in Scripture.
It is likely that this occurred but a short time after Jesus taught the parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14–30; Luke 19:11–27). When the Lord spoke of the slaves who received talents from their master, is it possible that this woman might have been in the audience? As He spoke of the one talent the slothful servant neglected to use, did she think of the ointment? When this woman anointed Jesus, He did not accuse her of waste as did His disciples; He praised her for using her “talent.” If your life were to be examined by the Lord today, could He say about you what He said of this woman? Have you done what you could? Let’s look at some other examples.
Rahab did what she could. When Israel marched around Jericho and the mighty men of the city were too fearful to venture outside its strong walls (Jsh. 2:9–11), what could a harlot do? Because she feared God and harbored Israel’s spies, she was rewarded with her life, the lives of her family members, a perpetual home in Israel, and a lasting tribute in faith’s hall of fame (Heb. 11:30).
Ruth did what she could. Refusing to let her beloved mother-in-law return desolate to her homeland, Ruth went with Naomi, but what could a poor widow from Moab do to help? Ruth gleaned in the fields of a man named Boaz until the barley harvest ended (Ruth 2:23), but what then? By God’s providence, Ruth soon married the man in whose fields she had labored and bore him a son who became the grandfather of King David (4:21). Boaz was a wealthy man in spite of the fact that his mother had once lived as a harlot in the Canaanite city of Jericho (cf. Matt. 1:5), and God brought to his side an exiled widow living in despair. From these two God would raise up the Messiah, the hope of the world!
If you still think God can’t use you, consider one more example. When Jesus entered a Pharisee’s house to dine, a woman known for her sins followed (Luke 7:36–37), much to His pompous host’s dismay. As this woman prostrated herself at Jesus’ feet, she noticed they were dirty, but what could she do about it? Although she had no water, basin, or towel, she improvised with what she did have, using her penitent tears for water and her own hair for a towel. She did what she could. What about you?