Why trouble ye her?

She hath done what she could. (Mark 14:8 KJV)

The incident took place in the house of Simon, probably the man whom Jesus had healed of the leprosy. There were also present Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead; Martha, the busy, bustling housekeeper; and Mary, who loved to sit at the feet of Jesus and hear his words; and those whom Jesus had called to be apostles.

Jesus was reclining at the table and Mary came in quietly, opened the flask, and poured the ointment on his head, and the odor filled all the house in which the little company had gathered. Judas criticized her, saying, “Why was this waste of ointment? It might have been sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” But Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why trouble ye her? She has wrought a good work upon me”.

It was a generous act: The oil was of great value. It was a public act: She was not ashamed to confess Christ publicly. The act was not done in a corner, but before her friends and the apostles of Jesus. She cared not who saw her. She loved the Lord and was outspoken in her expression of that love.

Everyone can do this. If you have not been able to do great things, have you been doing the little acts of kindness, and performing the little deeds of devotion for your Master? God promises to help us to do more as soon as we are willing to do something. [1]

God is confident and hopes that sooner or later the seed will blossom. This is how he loves us: he does not wait for us to become the best soil, but he always generously gives us his word. – Pope Leo XIV

[1] Anchor Doing Our Best