Only The Best Will Do

by MACDONALD, M. D. | Category: N/a | Apr 2005

'"She has done a beautiful thing."'

In a way these words will never lose their freshness, nor will their beauty ever grow dim. They were spoken to the dear woman the Lord addressed in the narrative recorded in Mark.

'While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, "Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor." And they rebuked her harshly. "Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her." Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them' (Mark 14:3-10, NIV).

Calvary's shadows were lengthening over His pathway. He knew His hour had almost come. Against such a sombre backdrop this woman's action with the jar of very expensive perfume poured over His head shines out with crystal-clear radiance.

What must have been her thoughts as she overheard some of the malicious comments, '"Why this waste of perfume?"' Perhaps she never realised that this would be her one and only chance to do what she could for the Guest from Galilee. If she had missed that opportunity how much poorer she (and we) would have been. As it is, her tender action has been recounted the world over for two millennia.

Consider the Lord's response to hearing the cruel remarks of some of the disciples aimed at this woman: '"Leave her alone."' Had he seen the hurt such uncaring expressions had caused the woman? The NIV translation puts His next words in a very expressive way, '"She has done a beautiful thing to me."' What had just been done to Him stood in marked contrast to the hurtful things people of His day did to Him most of the time, fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy that He would be a 'man of sorrows'.

'"She did what she could,"' could also be put as, "She has done her best". Surely only our best is good enough for Him who gave His very life for us! A Christian transport owner in England used the words at the top of this article as the title to his autobiography. He attempted to apply the words in every aspect of his life - whether secular or spiritual. God does not expect less than our best; surely we will give Him our best!

The American runner Steve Prefontaine, who died in his 20s, once said:

"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift."

These words have become almost legendary. This woman's action certainly was a striking example of someone giving their best.

The totally unselfish attitude of the woman in what she did to the Lord stands in complete contrast to the self-centred avarice of Judas.

The hymn writer puts it this way

We lose what on ourselves we spend;

We have as treasure without end

Whatever, Lord, to Thee we lend,

Who givest all. (C.Wordsworth)

May we all be helped to follow the rich example of the woman in Mark 14.

(All Scripture quotations are from the NIV)

MACDONALD, M. D. | Apr 2005
N/a