She hath done what she could

LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 13 JUNE 2021

MATTHEW 6 VERSES 6 - 13

In our passage a lady comes into the presence of Jesus and gives something very precious to him.  Jesus is pointing out to the disciples that she had done what she could.  She brought in a box of ointment, something precious to her.  it was costly, a years wages perhaps.  She broke the box in front of Jesus and poured it on his head.  Commentators differ as to who she was - they refer to John 12 where it is Mary who poured out the ointment.  Some would say she was another lady.

The distinction Jesus made of her and her servies.  "She hath down what she could."  Jesus takes the other disciples and points them to the actions of this woman.  There is much for us to learn here.  She wants to honour the Lord, glorify him praise him, worship him.  In a few days time he would be on his way to Calvary.  In a few days the opportunity would be gone for ever.  Are our lives glorifying to the Lord?  Why do we come in on a Sunday morning and Sunday evening?  To pass the time?  Or to worship the Lord for what he has done?  Think of what he has done for our lives in knowing we have sinned and come short of his glory, short of what is required of us.  That we will never get to the place where we are accepted by God.  He stepped in and said 'I will take your place'.  He meant it.  He would have to go to the cross and be nailed by his hands and feet, a crown of thorns would be plaited on his brow.  He did something I could never do for myself.  We have to come to the Lord.  He had opened up the way to heaven for each of us.  Let's be sure we are on our way to heaven and home today.  She came to worship.  She came into the presence of Christ, broke the box and poured it on Jesus' head.  There was uproar in the house.  Jesus said "she hath done what she could."  No more could be done.  If you are saved today and on your way to heaven then thereis nothing more expected of you than your all.  Remember the Roman centurion who came into the presence of Jesus to plead for his servant.  He was over a large number of soldiers, a high ranking man but he had a love for his servant.  He would see his servant every day in pain and agony.  He had done the best in terms of physicians.  He had heard about the Lord and what he was able to do.  That Jesus could quell the waves and winds, raise the dead and thought to himself if he could get to the Lord and bring him to my house my servant would be healed.  He arose and went to Jesus, asked him to come and heal him.  Jesus said yes he would come and heal him.  The centurion thought and then said "I am not worthy that you should come under my roof but speak the word only and he will be healed.  The Lord distinguished that man above all others.  "I have not seen such great faith no not in all of Israel."  He had done what he could.  Have we done what we could, can I say to the Lord "there is nothing more I could have done."  This lady did all she could.  Remember the widow woman who threw in 2 mites to the offering.  All the governors and rulers were there in their fancy clothes and whatever they thew in didn't matter to them.  In comes a widow woman, there she stands in the midst of all.  She is not even noticed.  She takes 2 mites and drops them into the treasury.  Jesus pointed her out saying "she hath down all she could."  The Lord saw her.  That is what distinguished her.  She did everything she could.

Notice this lady and her devotion.  Jesus points out the fact that she had come because of her devotion.  The motive behind it was love.  She loved the Lord.  She didn't find it a great thing, just a jar of ointment but so precious.  She knew she wanted to be in his presence.  As we meet together when we gather in his name he is there in the midst.  She loved the Lord so much she wanted to be near where he was.  She realised the task she could do. She came to where he was.  We all have asomething to offer.  We come because we know that Jesus has promised to be with us.  Think of the day Jesus called at the home of Mary and Martha.  Martha went out to prepare the meal while Mary sat at the feet of Jesus - why - because she wanted to hear the word of God.  She was so much in love with him, she wanted to hear every word he had to say.  She knew the lengths Jesus was prepared to go.  He was about to go to Calvary to be rejected of mankind.  He didn't want the opportunity to pass by.  She did what she could do for the Lord.  Remember how Peter denied the Lord and walked afar off.  When Jesus was arrested in Gethsemane he found himself drifting more and more until he was sitting with his enemies.  That is how backsliding starts.  Little by little.  We have to be careful.  Peter sat at the fireside.  He was challenged "do you know this man?"  He denied him 3 times.  On the seashore Jesus prepared breakfast for the disciples.  He said to Peter "lovest thou me?"  3 times of denial and 3 times of confirmation.  We can be saved and doing so much but what about the our love for the Lord?  It was said of the Laodicean church they were neither hot nor cold.  Jesus said "this is my commandment that ye love one another as I have loved you." (John 15 verse 12)  When I think of the great love Christ has for me do I love him as much?  Our devotion is that we offer ourselves totally to him, that is all that is asked for.

The dedication she had.  It came out of the devotion she had for the Lord.  It distinguished her in her services for the Lord.  She took the most expensive thing in her possession.  It was in a cupboard for some very special occasion.  She realised there was nothing more she could do than take it to the Lord and anoint him.  She gave it to the master in her service.  In Judges 11 Jephthah lived in Gilead.  He was a mighty man, a soldier, the son of a harlot.  Because of that his family turned their backs on him.  When the brothers rejected him he had to flee from his home.  The Amorites invaded Israel and of course this young man was sent for.  He was asked to come and lead the Israelite host against the Amorites.  He said he would do it but before he went out into battle he said "Lord if you are with me give the enemy into my hands then the first thing that meets me when I come home again I will offer it as a burnt offering."  He was dedicated to the service of the Lord.  He won the battle and comes home again rejoicing.  As he comes home thee first thing to meet him was his daughter.  She was his only child.  when he saw her coming he realised the vow he had.  She was the most precious thing in his house.  That daughter had no husband from that day on.  She would have been isolated from that day.  Remember Ananias in the days of the early church.  People in those days would sell anything they had and give the money from it to the apostles.  That money was then shared around those who had a need.  Ananias and Sapphira had some property, land and they sold it and brought the proceeds to the apostles.  Ananias and Priscilla kept back some of it.  They had no call to give it whatsoever.  As they brought that gift to the Lord probably brought the biggest part.  Peter asked them "why has the devil filled your heart to lie unto the Holy Spirit?"  We need to give what we can in these days, keeping nothing back.  You and I can hold things back - our time, our money, our talents, our families.  Think of Abraham when he was called to offer his son as a sacrifice.  This lady gave all she had, nothing more was expected.  The Lord will expect nothing more of you and I than all we can give.  Have we done all we could for the Lord today?  Are we putting our all into God's work and only get out what we can get done?  Sometimes we have to be careful - we can only get out what we put in.

Notice her decision.  She was distinguished by her devotion, dedicated in what she set out to do but she also made a decision.  She loved the Lord.  She was devoted and dedicated to the service but she had to make a decision to give the ointment box.  It had to be a free will decision.  We can expect people to do certain things but it would not be free.  It didn't matter about the cost.  She took it and anointed the Lord.  It was her decision.

The dispute.  The minute she did it there was an uproar.  The disciples said it was a waste of money, they thought the ointment could have been sold and the money given to the poor.  Maybe they said this because they themselves never thought of doing something like this.  Maybe it put them in a bad light and set her apart.  Maybe they stepped back and didn't want anyone else to do it.  The Lord distinguished this woman here.  The Lord set her apart for this great lesson for the disciples.  She came to where the Lord was.  She broke the box of ointment and poured it on the Lord.  It called for a decision to be made.  There might be a dispute at the end of the mission because of what we have and haven't done.  The Lord is in control and he asks us to give what we can - will we do it today?