47 MARY, SISTER OF LAZARUS
“She Did What She Could”
MARY was deeply moved by the kindness of Jesus Christ. He had done so much for her; for Martha, her sister; and for Lazarus, their beloved brother. Jesus had stayed at their home in Bethany a number of times, generously teaching them about Jehovah and about himself. They had become very dear to him. And when Lazarus had died, Jesus resurrected him!
Mary wanted to do something extraordinary for her Lord Jesus. She decided to give him a most precious gift. It was perfumed oil, weighing “a pound . . . genuine nard, very costly,” and it was in an alabaster jar. In those days, it would have taken almost a year for a laborer to earn enough money to buy that small flask of perfume. The Bible does not reveal when or how Mary came to possess this treasure, but it could have been the costliest thing she owned.
She yearned to give Jesus a most precious gift, but doing so would cost her dearly
As Jesus reclined at a meal in Bethany, Mary decided that the time had come. She approached Jesus, broke open her jar, and tenderly poured out the precious perfume onto his head and his feet. As the excess fluid dripped down, she uncovered her hair and dried his feet with it. In her culture, some might have considered it improper for her to uncover her hair, but in this moment, Mary cared only to dignify her Lord. She willingly humbled herself to give him the highest honor.
The rich aroma soon filled the house. But not all were pleased. Judas Iscariot was indignant, and it seems that he got some of the other apostles to join him in objecting to this gift. “Why,” Judas demanded, “was this perfumed oil not sold for 300 denarii and given to the poor?” Imagine Mary’s feelings. She had put her whole heart into this loving gift. And here these respected men, Jesus’ own apostles, were angrily scolding her! We can only imagine how humiliated she felt. Then Jesus came to Mary’s defense.
“Let her alone,” he commanded. With those words, silence surely fell. “She did a fine deed toward me,” he said. Jesus pointed out that Mary had performed a loving service for him. She could not have known it, but his burial was fast approaching, and this perfumed oil served as a preparation for that sad event. The Lord summed up her deed with these simple, memorable words: “She did what she could.” Finally, he added: “Truly I say to you, wherever the good news is preached in all the world, what this woman did will also be told in memory of her.” Jesus saw the courage and the love in what Mary had done. Such a generous spirit deserved praise, not criticism.
After that, no one dared to object further. Judas left, determined to betray his master. But how Jesus’ words touched Mary! Only a few days later, his statement about what lay ahead of him came to mean even more to her. Jesus, her beloved Lord, was illegally tried, then executed, and finally buried—just as he had foretold. We can only imagine the grief of this kind, compassionate woman. In those dark hours, she surely drew comfort from what Jesus had told her.
On the third day after Jesus’ death, the most wonderful thing happened: The Lord Jesus was resurrected! Not long afterward, he appeared to a group of over 500 of his followers. It was likely then that he commissioned them to preach the good news to “people of all the nations.” (Matt. 28:19, 20) He had said that the message of “the good news” would actually include the record of Mary’s humble and loving gift! Surely Mary never regretted that she had mustered the courage to give the best she had to her Lord. She must have remembered to the very end of her life that Jesus had praised her faith and courage with the words: “She did what she could.”
Read the Bible account:
For discussion:
In what ways did Lazarus’ sister Mary show courage?
Dig Deeper
1. What does the Bible suggest about the personalities of Mary and her sister, Martha? (Luke 10:39, 40; John 11:20; ia 173 ¶5-6; 176 ¶17) A
Picture A
2. What is remarkable about Jesus’ willingness to teach Mary and other women? (w99 9/1 30 ¶1-4)
3. What made the oil that Mary poured on Jesus so valuable? (“costly perfumed oil” study note on Matt. 26:7, nwtsty) B
Indian nard: © Haijie Lu, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0. Source; dried jatamansi: wasanajai/stock.adobe.com; alabaster jar: © The Trustees of the British Museum. Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Source
Picture B: The flower and roots of Nardostachys jatamansi, the likely source of the oil Mary poured on Jesus, and an alabaster perfume bottle
4. Why is it significant that Mary poured oil both on Jesus’ head and also on his feet? (w10 11/1 6 ¶4, ftn.)
Reflect on the Lessons
Jesus said that “Mary chose the good portion”—she put spiritual things first. (Luke 10:42) How can we imitate her today? C
Picture C
Jesus commended Mary because “she did what she could.” What does that teach us about what Jehovah values in us? (Mark 12:29, 30; 14:8)
In what ways might you imitate the courage of Mary in your life?
Meditate on the Bigger Picture
What does this account teach me about Jehovah?
How does the account tie in with Jehovah’s purposes?
Why are you thankful that Lazarus’ sister Mary was likely chosen to rule with Christ in heaven?
Learn More
What can children learn from Mary, Martha, and Jesus about making friends?
Consider how Jesus appreciated both expensive gifts like Mary’s and small gifts like the widow’s two small coins.