Mark 14:6-9 (Part I)
There are six incredibly important words lodged in this scene that are easy to overlook. In between wondering what Jesus meant by saying “the poor you will always have with you” and his focus on his impending crucifixion, it’s easy to miss these six words: “She has done what she could.”
Why is this so important? Because it reminds us that faith doesn’t have to be heroic to be significant.
She has done what she could. Nothing more, nothing less. Jesus recognizes the gift of this woman and holds her up as a paragon of faith. Think about it. Mark doesn’t tell us that she followed Jesus to the cross (she may have, but we don’t hear about it). She hasn’t somehow prevented his crucifixion. She hasn’t given up everything, taken up her cross, and followed Jesus in any demonstrable or dramatic way. She has simply done what she could do. And in that simple
gesture of devotion and gratitude Jesus is anointed, purified, in a way that she could probably not even imagine. No wonder we still talk about her!
Which brings us back to Jesus’ statement about the poor. In this light, Jesus isn’t being cavalier or dismissive. Rather, he is saying that we have all around us ample opportunity to do what is right, to practice our faith, to love others as Jesus did. We will always, that is, have the opportunity to do what we can.
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