On doing what we can.
I. Nobody is idle in the kingdom of our Lord. Even the babes and sucklings have something to do. But so just is the King that He will not have any of His servants do more than they can. He expects us to do only what we can.
It was this which pleased Him so well in the service which Mary of Bethany did; she did what she could. She greatly loved the Lord, He had often spoken to her about His Father; He had raised her brother Lazarus from the dead. And she wanted to show her love. To look at, her act was not so much as if she had built a church, or a school, or a hospital. It was only pouring some sweet perfume on the head and feet of the Saviour she loved. But this was just the thing she could best do, and what she could she did.
II. When years had gone past and Jesus was gone back to heaven, many other disciples showed their love to Him by doing what they could. Some sold their possessions and gave the money they got for them to the poor. Some went about the world preaching Jesus. Some opened their houses to receive the preachers. Some spent hours in prayer, asking God to bless the preaching. Some, more noble than others, searched the Bible besides, to know what God would have them to do.
III. Sometimes we can only sing a psalm, or offer a prayer, or speak a kind word, or give a tender look, or a warm grasp of the hand. It is enough in the eyes of the just Saviour that we do things as little as these, if these should be the only things we can do.
IV. No one is so humble, or poor, or weak as not to be able to do something. Even a child may serve the Lord. It is wonderful how much can be done, and what things great in God's sight, if people would only do the little things they can.
A. Macleod, The Gentle Heart,p. 47.
I. It is allowable for women openly to show their attachment to Christ and His cause. Many modes of influence and usefulness are open to them, just as, in the sacred history we find in many ways, both in the lifetime of our Lord and afterwards, the agency of woman was permitted or required. As in early times, she was to be honourably distinguished who was well reported of for good works, in that she had washed the saints' feet, or been actively hospitable to missionaries and ministers so in the present day there is still opportunity for the thoughtful kindness of woman's calling, in relation to those, or to their families and their representatives, who, at home or abroad, are devoted to and are doing the work of God.
II. Women may sometimes show their regard for Christ in a way very startling to others not approved by them and that may be thought extravagant or wrong. Whenever there is very deep, strong, and impulsive religious feeling the notion that the ideal of the Christian mind ought to be embodied in facts and actions the chances are that something will be projected, attempted, or done, which the Church generally will not go along with. The penitent may be repelled by the self-righteous, the munificent libelled by the churl nobody can please all; while high, unwonted forms of action will run the risk of displeasing most.
III. The act, that may be thus misunderstood, may be acceptable to, approved, and honoured by Christ. In the case before us Mary obtained a double reward: (1) She found that she had done a thing far greater than she intended, she had anointed His body for the burial; (2) Jesus said that her action should be talked of, written about, read everywhere the world over always, while there is a Gospel to be preached or men to hear it.
IV. This misapprehension on the part of some, this approval of Christ and predicted reward of Mary's service, all sprang from her having done what she could. She put her whole ability to tribute or rather to the test, and resolved to do all and everything it was capable of effecting. She devised liberal things, she purposed in her heart, planned with her head, put to her hand, pushed on, persevered, prayed and toiled day by day, exerting the utmost of her power, that she might accomplish all that was in her will, and she has done it. Gabriel could do no more, nor any of the highest creatures of God.
T. Binney, King's Weigh-House Chapel Sermons,2nd series, p. 188.
Notice:
I. The costliness of this offering. A contemporary writer, complaining of the luxury and wastefulness of his age, specifies the extravagant prices paid for unguents in proof of his assertion; and then mentions four hundred pence as a proof of the recklessness of the rich. Here, then, was a woman not rich certainly possessing herself of the costliest offering she could procure. As nearly as one could reckon the sum she paid for it would be about thirty pounds according to the present value of money among ourselves. And I think we shall all admit that although the sum is not what a rich person would call a large one, it is what we should call a very noble offering indeed, if offered by a person in humble life, especially if offered in this particular way. I mean offered without any particular, immediate, visible, commensurate object. She was not buying a burial-place for her Lord's body, or providing for His embalming, or for His entombment; or doing any other similar necessary and abiding act. No; she merely wanted to show her love, her soul's devotion, the largeness of her affectionate reverence towards that mysterious Being whose discourse was sweeter to her than honey or the honey-comb whose strong voice had broken the gates of death; in whom she recognised the Author of all her purest joy. She pours the costly unguent on His sacred head, and spreads what she lets fall upon His feet with her hair. And she earns for herself thereby the praise of the eternal God and a place in the everlasting Gospel of Christ.
II. The commendation which our Savour bestowed upon the act of this pious woman is very striking; for who was ever modest, self-denying, humble-minded, regardless of luxury, pomp, and worldly honours, if not our Saviour, the meek, lowly-hearted One who proposes Himself in this very respect as a model to us all? And yet, it is He who commends so highly Mary's costly offering now; for our sakes He did it, and it is to show us that He approves, and will to the end of time approve, all similar ventures of faith and love. These words of Christ are the commendation, the eternal praise, of lavish outlay and costly expenditure made for Christ's sake and in Christ's honour; It is the praise won by every one of whom that may be truly said which was once spoken of Mary: "She hath done what she could."
J. W. Burgon, Ninety-one Short Sermons,No. 36.
The Insight of Love.
Note:
I. The inherent difficulty which besets all questions of casuistry that rise under the laws or precepts of natural morality. The rules or precepts of morality are easy for the most part; it is only their application to particular cases that are difficult. Thus, if the woman had been asking how she could use her box of ointment so as to do most good with it, she would either have fallen into utter doubt and perplexity, or else she would have taken up the same conclusion with Judas, and given it to the benefit of the poor. However perfect and simple the code of preceptive duty the applications of it will often be difficult and sometimes well-nigh impossible, without some better help than casuistry.
II. This better help is contributed by Christ and His Gospel. Begetting in the soul a new personal love to Himself, Christ establishes in it all law, and makes it gravitate, by its own sacred motion, towards all that is right and good in particular cases. This love will find all good by its own pure affinity apart from any mere debate of reasons, even as a magnet finds all specks of iron hidden in the common dust. Thus, if the race were standing fast in love, perfect love, that love would be the fulfilling of the law without the law, determining itself rightly by its own blessed motions, without any statutory control whatever. The wise male brethren who stood critics round this woman had all the casuistic, humanly assignable reasons plainly enough with them. And yet the wisdom is hers without any reasons. She reaches farther, touches the proprieties more fully, chimes with God's future more exactly than they do, reasoning the question as they best can. It is as if she were somehow polarised in her love by a new Divine force, and she settles into coincidence with Christ and His future, just as the needle settles to its point without knowing why. To bathe His blessed head with the most precious ointment she can get, and bending low to put her fragrant homage on his feet, and bind them in the honours of her hair, is all that she thinks of; and be it wise or unwise it is done. By a certain delicate affinity of feeling, that was equal to insight, and almost to prophecy, she touches exactly her Lord's strange unknown future, and anoints Him for the kingdom and the death she does not even think of or know. Plainly enough no debate of consequence could ever have prepared her for these deep and beautifully wise proprieties.
H. Bushnell, Christ and His Salvation,p. 39.
References: Mark 14:8. J. Keble, Sermons on Various Occasions,p. 58; Preacher's Monthly,vol. iv., p. 218; J. M. Neale, Sermons in Sackville College,p. 252; Homiletic Magazine,vol. xiv., p. 107; Thursday Penny Pulpit,vol. ii., p. 37; Church of England Pulpit,vol. xx., p. 265.Mark 14:8; Mark 14:9. Good Words,vol. ii., p. 416.