pramsay posted on August 08, 2006 05:18 1059 views

“I would have helped out in restocking the supply of VIA gospel magazines in the waiting rooms around town but I had a game to play…” “I wanted to obey the Lord by getting baptized but I was just too swamped with my courses to even focus on spiritual things.”…… “I wanted to go to Seed Sowers this summer but something else came up.” …. “I wanted to tell her I was saved but I could never seem to find the right time in our chats to introduce her to Christ. I never thought I’d be attending her funeral this week. How can I live with the regret?” …… “I believe in being a devoted Christian too, but going to every meeting of the assembly and spending so many holiday weekends at Bible conferences, is just too extreme for me. I don’t know how some people do it!”

2000 years ago in Bethany there was quite a scene. “Well, I’m appalled! Why in the world did she waste that precious ointment?!! I couldn’t believe it when I saw her breaking open the flask and dumping it on His head. There are other ways to express your appreciation for the Master without wasting precious nard.” Someone else joins the whisper campaign: “If she wanted to get rid of her ointment why didn’t she give it to us. We could have taken it down to the market and converted it into cash – 300 pence and then turned it over to the poor.” The chorus of criticism grew. “She annoys me so much. You don’t have to be excessively cerebral to figure out why she did that! She’s always looking for the limelight. She always wants to steal the show. But what blows me away is the waste! It’s almost criminal when poor people are starving to death.”

The Lord Jesus breaks the momentum of the negative chatter and tells them to back off. “Leave her alone. She has done something of infinite good and of great value to Me.” And then He addresses their supposed concern over the poor. Listen carefully to His words.

“But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her?
She has done a beautiful thing to me.
For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them.
But you will not always have me.
She has done what she could…”

Mark 14:6-8

One important thing they failed to understand was that time was running out for them to show Him how much they loved Him. The window of opportunity to express their devotion would soon close. He was leaving them. He was going to Calvary. She seized the opportunity to express her devotion to Him. She did what she could when she could. He told them they’d always have opportunities to do other good things – but not to miss the golden opportunity to do something for Himself. It is true that He would be physically leaving them by way of the Cross – but this dear woman also did not know if she herself would live another day to do for Him what she wanted to do.

Better to do it today than to be disappointed tomorrow over an opportunity forever missed.

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