She Hath Done What She Could

[470 words] These words spoken by Jesus memorialize the actions of a woman who anointed his head with a very valuable ointment. Several denounced the apparent waste of this expensive item, saying that it should have been sold to help the poor. Jesus defended her with the words used in the title above, found in Mark 14:8. Many lessons can be drawn from this passage, but the words of Jesus call attention to an important lesson that is often overlooked. This woman did not try to protect Jesus from his enemies, nor to prevent his death. Instead, she chose to honor him with the ointment, unknowingly anointing him for burial. She did what she could do, not what she could not do. This concept is repeated by the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 8:12 in reference to the contribution at Corinth: “For if there be first a willing mind, it…