Do What You Can

Introduction

One of my teachers and educational mentors taught me this truth: “The person who completes the educational task is not the brightest or smartest, it is the person who continues to jump through hoops until someone tells them to stop.” That bit of wisdom coupled with the reality that the way one eats is an elephant is one bite at a time, has helped me over and over again to keep things in perspective. When I first started teaching at Freed Hardeman, we had entrance exams for those who entered our master’s program. Based upon research there is a connection between how one does on a specific entrance exam and successful completion of a program. I asked the question soon after starting, how to measure one’s determination outside those exams. Is it possible that a person not do well on the exam but by the sheer act of the will successfully complete our program?

Athletics has demonstrated this reality. A person with a modest amount of talent but who does not meet the criteria of a great athlete by any measure becomes a highly competitive athlete and champion because of hard work rather than natural abilities. Kurt Warner is such a name. Excellent high school quarterback but only Northern Iowa University gave him a scholarship. He was drafted to play professional football but was discarded after a couple of seasons. He was literally stocking shelves in a grocery store when the Arena Football League started and he won a starting position as a quarterback and went on to NFL fame by leading 2 teams to the Super Bowl. Highly successful people like Ralph Lauren, Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, and Sophia Amoruso did not follow the traditional path of academic excellence but found themselves highly successful in their respective area.

We value hard work, perseverance, and determination. To some degree we value the story of the underdog who won. But we may find it difficult to keep those values intact when life begins to make things hard. We like the easy path. When that school assignment seems too difficult, that is when our values come out. When that relationship seems too challenging, that is when our values are seen. When that situation demands more strength than we believe we have, that is when our values matter the most. All of this and more is seen in Mark 14. A familiar story must be read more carefully. Our values will be defined. Our perspective will be turned. But only you can know your desire to jump through the hoops until someone tells you to stop.

A Meal

With Thanksgiving approaching, I suspect many of you are already planning “The Meal.” Whether you host or attend, the Thanksgiving meal has to be carefully scripted. Planning has to take place. Mark tells us about two different planners. We have the Religious leaders who are planning on carrying out their plan to kill Jesus. Mark told us about this back in chapter 3. Time has gone by but their planning never stopped. The time to kill Jesus is now, but not during this feast. Too much Messianic fever and they know Jesus is at the center of it. But we know that it will happen now. The plan of God will be carried out during a feast that recalls God’s deliverance. They will deliver themselves from this rebel and God will deliver all from sin. Perspective.

On the other hand, you have an unnamed woman who is also planning. This meal isn’t thrown together. Jesus has been in Bethany for several days now. His schedule isn’t difficult to know. Go to the temple each day to teach; return to Bethany each night. Passover is approaching. People are settling in for the celebration. Just as this meal was planned so has the woman been planning. While religious leaders are planning to kill Jesus, she is planning to celebrate the life of Jesus. Different motives. Different perspectives.

She pours this expensive perfume on Jesus’ head (other writers say his feet as well). It appears that given it is a small amount of liquid she tries to equally divide it between head and feet. Symbolic of the entire body. But can’t you see it in your imagination. She starts at the head and because the bottle has been broken at the top, she stops to pour the rest on his feet but as she moves toward the feet drops spill on his shoulder, his side, his leg. No wonder Jesus says she has anointed my body. We don’t know if she meant it to symbolize the perfuming of a dead body as was the custom of her day. But Jesus gave it that meaning. Much like he did with the Lord’s Supper, the bread and wine became something different because he pronounced it so. John tells us that the whole house was filled with the smell.

There was strong disagreement with what was done. John tells us that it was Judas who initiated this opposition. Mark tells us that Judas will leave the meal with a heart set on joining the religious leaders in their effort to kill Jesus. That tells us that killing Jesus wasn’t news. Jesus quickly sides with the woman. She has done a beautiful thing. Jesus acknowledges that caring for the poor can be done after he is dead. The world will not run out of the poor.

So What?

What is there about this story that we should take with us? There’s a couple of things that strike me. First, Mark here and in chapter 12 uses unnamed women to illustrate his point. Mark 12 the unnamed widow who gives her two small copper coins is an illustration of what it means to love God. Here in Mark 14, this unnamed woman illustrates what it means to love God as well. Mark never uses the word ‘love’ to describe either of their motives. Their behaviors reveal it. Which leads me to the second thing.

Notice 14:8. Jesus says, “She did what she could.” Five words. We spend too much time worrying about what we don’t do or thinking what we need to do has to be bigger. It isn’t about using one’s talents. It is about recognizing that what one can do is all that God asks. Do what you can to help your neighbor. Do what you can to reveal God’s presence. Do what you can to show that you work for God as you do a good job for an employer. Do what you can to be a good student academically and good friend socially. Stop thinking that only big gestures carry the day or that it is never enough. Do what you can. Do what you can by being kind to the checkout person. Do what you can by tipping your server well and treating them with respect. Do what you can to love your spouse, your children, your extended family, your friends. Do what you can when you eat this meal this week with others to be positive because God is still working in your life and in this world. Do what you can to be a light. Do what you can to let your language reveal God’s love.

And when someone questions your motives or someone suggests that you are not doing enough or someone tells you that they could do it better, then invite them to join you in doing what they can. Tell them “I’m doing what I can. It’s never enough; it can be done better.” Tell them to do what they can in their world. She did what she could. You do what you can. And together let’s just make sure that like these two women, it isn’t necessary to be recognized; our behaviors will speak for us. We use words to persuade but it is our behaviors that people will watch and see and learn and understand. Let’s do what we can; and let’s make sure the room smells good when we leave. Invitation.

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