Matthew 26:10 When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? For she hath wrought a good work upon me.
The Lord’s Appraisal and Approval
It matters not how old you are, how much power you hold, or what position you may use. All of us want approval, the affirmation of other people. We especially want this from people that matter. When it comes to serving the Lord, the people that seem to most matter are those who are themselves serving the Lord. Yet, surprisingly, sometimes those who serve the Lord do not always see the value in the service of others. That must be exactly how a nameless women, although we know her to be Mary, felt during the incident recorded for us in Matthew 26.
The Bible tells us that “when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, there came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat.” Jesus recognized that she had done this for His burial. When the disciples saw what the woman had done, they were indignant. They said, “To what purpose is this waste.” They thought that the money for the ointment could have been used for a more important purpose like helping the poor.
The disciples missed the point. They loved Jesus. They were Jesus’ friends, yet no one can hurt you more than a friend who doesn’t understand. If an enemy makes an accusation, you consider the source and brush it off. It is more hurtful when an accusation comes from someone important, yet the disciples were wrong and this woman was right.
Verse 10 says, “When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me.” The disciples were moved by indignation. Mary was moved by love. Jesus had brought her brother, Lazarus, back to life, and she was full of gratitude and faith. Somehow she knew what the disciples had missed, that Jesus was going to die, be buried, and be raised again. She was not one of the chosen twelve, but she was giving what she had.
The disciples said her service was a waste. Jesus said it was a good work. I love what the Bible says in verse 10, “Jesus understood it.” I don’t need to demand that everyone understand. Even the best of people at times are not going to understand all that is going on and what it is that I am giving. I can love them even if they don’t understand, and I can know that Jesus does understand.
At the end of the day, the two things that matter most are the Lord’s appraisal and the Lord’s approval. I am not saying that the affirmation of other people is not important, but what really matters is the Lord’s appraisal. A companion passage says, “She hath done what she could.” Jesus never asks any more, and He never deserves any less. She had done what she could; that is the Lord’s appraisal. The Lord’s approval was that He said that what she had done was a good work and should be remembered.
I don’t know if you are going to turn any heads by what you are doing. I am not sure if everyone will understand the sacrifice you are making or the ministry you are giving in service, but Jesus understands. He is the One Who should be glorified by what you do and pleased by the results of that work.