A story found in both Mark 14 and John 12.
Mary anoints the Savior in costly ointment and is criticized for it.
Look at the Lord’s response. “Leave her alone. Why shame her? She’s doing good. You’re killing the joy here pal.” (I paraphrased slightly)
Most moms are offering the Lord all they have every day - they serve their families task after task - to exhaustion.
We should always resist the impulse to judge someone else’s effort, but especially the quiet, draining, daily work of a mom. It is 1000 times better to just offer to help.
Mothers often feel this kind of scrutiny:
- “Why doesn’t she work?”
- “Why is she working?”
- “Why can’t she control her kids?”
- “Why is she so strict?”
- “Why isn’t she doing more at church?”
- “Why would she wear that?”
- “Why is she so focused on herself?”
- “Why has she let herself go?”
- “Why does she let her kids watch that?”
Not to mention the internal criticism:
- “I’m not doing enough.”
- “I’m failing my kids.”
- “Other moms have it all together—I don’t.”
- “I lose my temper too much.”
- “They deserve better than me.”
The Savior didn’t say the woman was perfect. He didn’t say she did everything else right. He didn’t say she’d ‘done her best’ (I really struggle with that phrase). He said “She’s doing what she can.”
Motherhood has a billion small, repetitive tasks. But to the Lord, every scraped knee, every bedtime prayer, every dish, every act of patience, every folded shirt, every tired smile, becomes an anointing—a sacred act of devotion.
Most moms I know are overwhelmed—drowning in tasks, decisions, and constant pressure. And sadly, instead of being lifted, their offerings are met with the weight of more subtle criticism. I think Jesus would say: “You’re killing me here folks. Fault finding a mom? Stop it. Start honoring the moms or I’m coming down there.”
Jesus defends the weary and praises the offering (and along the way he inspired someone to create chocolate). Be like Jesus.
-Hank Smith
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Jeni Culwell sent me a text with this message she read by Hank Smith. I read it and wept. It hit home so hard. I felt understood and seen and loved by God, again! I felt uplifted and encouraged. Bro. Smith's words remind me how Jesus truly feels about women. He always stands up for them. Especially for women who are trying to do their best.
Moms get the brunt of all the hard stuff. We are the targets for all that goes wrong. All the emotions (good or bad) are put on us. And we handle it and accept it! Yet Moms, & women in general, get a lot or criticism and harsh judgement. We need to stop comparing and shaming each other. We need to stop comparing and shaming ourselves. The world would be a more harmonious happy place if we could all stop doing that! God loves us, flaws and all. He doesn't want us to be so harsh. We need to start loving ourselves so we can better love others.
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