Waste or Good Work?

Mark 14:4 “And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made?”

How successful are you? Most times a question like that requires you to ask a question before answering. Successful in what? You could be successful in many things but not be successful. If you mean success in money, in friends, in making a name for yourself–which are not necessarily wicked-success with those things to what end? For what purpose?

Mary came to anoint Jesus with an alabaster box filled with a costly and precious ointment. And what did the disciples have to say about this? “Why was this waste of ointment made?” Sometimes no one can hurt you more than good people whom you admire. Good people are still wicked sometimes. You can almost expect discouragement from the world’s crowd, but you do not expect the same thing from people who love the Lord.

In spite of ourselves, we often set up inferior standards of success in ministry. We think if everybody likes us, if we do see trouble, then we are successful. But Mary had opposition and not everyone loved and praised her! We know from a companion passage that Judas was the spokesman who wanted to sell the ointment and give the money to the poor. Sounds like a pious reason, doesn’t it? Pious reasons cannot hide a rebel in heart with a murmuring spirit. But Mary would have thought Judas was trustworthy; after all, he was the treasurer for the disciples.

So even though the Lord’s own disciples “murmured against her” and called Mary’s service a waste, we can learn that success is not in what you gain, it is in what you give and to whom you are giving it. Mary’s gift was valuable-she was successful-because she gave what she had to the Lord. The ointment was “very precious,” but it became valuable only when she gave it to the Lord Jesus.

There are some comforting words in verse 8: “She hath done what she could. . . .” Did you know that God never asks more of you than that? Only the Lord’s appraisal and the Lord’s approval matter. If we do what we should, God will do what we cannot. If the Lord’s appraisal is, “You have done what you could,” and His approval is “good work,” then you are successful.