The Alabaster Box

There is a familiar story in the Bible of a sinful woman who broke her alabaster box at Jesus' feet. It's found in Luke 7:37-38: "A woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil."

I was reading a book the other day that made reference to this story, and I started to deeply ponder its meaning.

Firstly, it's a dialogue without words. It's very true that actions speak louder than words; they are what truly reveal the state of our hearts. And since Jesus knew exactly what was in her heart and what she had done, words were unnecessary - both in her offering of repentance and in her receiving of forgiveness. But her offering was more than that - it cost her something as well. Hers was a sacrificial offering - she broke her alabaster box.

Apparently, in the culture of the day, when a young Jewish woman reached the age of availability for marriage, her family would purchase an alabaster box for her and fill it with precious ointment. The size of the box and the value of the ointment would parallel her family's wealth. This alabaster box would be part of her dowry. When a young man came to ask for her in marriage, she would respond by taking the alabaster box and breaking it at his feet. This gesture of anointing his feet showed him honour. This woman was willing to offer Jesus the best and most valuable thing she had in order to honour Him, knowing it was a one-time gesture that couldn't be done again.

What is in your alabaster box? What dreams or secrets do you cling to that need to be broken and released at His feet? It's not enough to simply give Jesus our hearts, we must allow Him to break them irretrievably as a sign of our faith and complete commitment to Him. Only then can He reform them into what He longs for them to be. Isaiah 55:8 says "'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,' says the Lord. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.'" God's plans for our lives are so much greater than those we plan for ourselves. Our sacrifice may seem great, but the step of faith required to answer His call will always be worth it.

Something else happened when the alabaster box was broken - the fragrance of the oil was released and filled the room. The other people present experienced the aroma and were affected by her very vulnerable, intimate offering. When you begin to live every day by faith, other people will be touched; stirred; challenged; even offended. In fact, those who witnessed this event were appalled and totally misunderstood its meaning - but this woman had come to a place where she no longer cared what people thought of her. It makes no difference what people's reactions are, only that there is something undeniable about you that they will notice. Allow the Holy Spirit to work on their hearts as you remain faithful to His plan and His call. The box is broken, the decision made. There's no turning back now.

Ruth-Ellen W.