Sign In
Store
She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. Mark 14:8
D.L. MOODY
I imagine when Mary died, if God had sent an angel to write her epitaph, he couldn’t have done better than to put over her grave what Christ said: “She hath done what she could.”
I would rather have that said over my grave, if it could honestly be said, than to have all the wealth of the Rothschilds. Christ raised a monument to Mary that is more lasting than the monuments raised to Caesar or Napoleon. Their monuments crumble away, but hers endures. Her name never appeared in print while she was on Earth, but today it is famous in three hundred and fifty languages.
We may never be great; we may never be known outside our circle of friends; but we may, like Mary, do what we can. May God help each one of us to do what we can! Life will soon be over; it is short at the longest. Let us rise and follow in the footsteps of Mary of Bethany.
ERWIN LUTZER
Isn’t it wonderful that God doesn’t expect us to achieve beyond our abilities? We should, however, hone our skills and develop our gifts, but in the end, our epitaph should read that we have done what we could. Having done that, we are still “unworthy servants” (Luke 17:10).
That being said, we should not be satisfied with mediocrity or laziness. The apostle Paul uses the illustration of the athlete in a race to remind us we need discipline, dedication, and determination if we are to succeed (1 Corinthians 9:24–27).
Mary gave her finest treasure, the expensive oil, to Jesus. But cost didn’t matter. She gave all she had to Jesus, holding nothing back. Pouring it on His feet was not a waste; it was an unimaginable investment.
Let it be said of us: “We have done what we could.” Nothing less and nothing more.
PRAYER
Father, I stumble, and sometimes I cause others to stumble. Enable me, Lord, to run well and to hear your, “Well done.”REFLECTION QUESTIONS
What can you learn from Mary's willingness to give her most valuable possession to Jesus without holding anything back?It requires discipline, direction, and determination to run the Christian race. Which of these do you struggle with the most?