Alabaster Jar

Do you ever have a moment, when you've heard a story a million times but all of a sudden it makes sense and takes on a WHOLE new meaning? I re-read the story of Jesus being anointed by the sinful woman. There were ‘light bulb’ moments for me as I really READ this story again.

Luke 7:36-38

^“One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him, so Jesus went to his home and sat down to eat. When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them.

Jesus had just been speaking to a crowd about John the Baptist (Luke 7:18-35), so we can only assume that there were a lot of people following him around. One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to come to his home for dinner with him. Having left the crowd outside, he would have entered the house for a dinner party. Here’s when it got interesting for me. This ‘immoral woman’ would have heard that Jesus was in town, known of his promise of forgiveness and known of her past of sin. And still she chose to approach HIM. Knowing her sins were great, and knowing the reputation she would have had in the community she lived in. Knowing… knowing… and still she came. Boldly.

The jar of perfume this woman carried would have cost her everything. All of the money she would have made would have gone to pay for this rare and expensive jar of perfume. Am I giving ALL of me? Everything.

Picture with me, Jesus sitting down with the Pharisees for dinner, small talk around the table before the meal is served when all of a sudden a woman walks into the room. No invitation. No permission. She walks straight through the crowd and into the house. And this woman- immoral, outcast, society’s social pariah- walks right up behind the Messiah. Can you hear the gasps in the crowd? Can you see the frowns on the staunch Pharisee faces, and watch the smirk form on the face of Jesus?

There, in front of her enemies, she pours out her sin at the feet of Jesus. A ‘jar of sacrifice’ before the King, before the only one who could take away all of the pain. The only one who could take away all of the sadness. The only one who could take away all of the guilt. The only one who can take away all of the sin. Her act of worship, an act that should have been performed by the owner of the home, was performed by the one who had no home. Had nothing to offer but herself and her sacrifice.

In today’s society the idea of ‘sitting’ for a while seems useless and unproductive, after all, I have a list a mile long and it HAS to be done today. But what if, for just a little while, we quieted ourselves and poured out a sacrifice at the feet of the King? What if, for just a little while we sat in the presence of the Holy One? What if, for just a little while we let HIM do the healing of our brokenness, the fixing of our soul, the cleaning of our hearts? What if, my job is to just pour out my sins before Him and let him do the rest?

Jesus’ words in verse 50 breathe life to my busy, restless soul, ‘Your faith has saved you; GO IN PEACE’.

So, pouring out my sin before Him, letting Jesus carry it away, letting Father heal my brokenness, letting the Spirit wash me clean will bring PEACE? What a simple recipe. What a beautiful act of Worship to the King. Let’s take the time today to pour out at the feet of Jesus, to put all that we are inside that alabaster jar and pour it out before the King.

Tara W.