THE ALABASTER BOX!

THE ALABASTER BOX!

Matt 26:1-7

26:1 And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples,

2 Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.

3 Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,

4 And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty and kill him.

5 But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people.

6 Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,

7 There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat.

Simon himself had been a leper whom Jesus had cleansed. The nickname stuck and either was a caustic reminder of his past or a proud trophy of God’s grace. Simon, “the leper” would always be both of these things.

Luke, in his seventh chapter adds many details to this story including the fact that the woman was a notorious sinner. John tells a similar story about Mary, sister to Martha and Lazarus, who anointed Jesus’ feet. But there seems to be sufficient differences to doubt they are the same event.

As Jesus marched steadily, and calmly, toward the cross He found in this selfless act a kindred spirit. This woman did not ask how little she may give in honoring her Lord but how much. She did not weigh the value of her act; it was others who said it was “a waste.” So, it may be said of the death of Jesus as men, still unsaved and unconvinced, shake their head at such a waste of human life and wisdom. Those who think that Jesus was only a misguided idealist may mourn his tragic martyrdom but miss the real significance of his death.

What if the alabaster box had been sold and the money used to feed the poor? The poor would have consumed the value of the box and then returned to their poor estate. What if Jesus had lived and had properly assimilated into the culture of his time as a great teacher? New concepts and noble acts might have been the result, but sinners would only have learned to act more nobly. They would have remained sinners still. No, the box must be shattered, and the life must be spilled out! With an amazing disregard! Love lavished everything!

Dear Lord, in the cast of characters in this drama, let me be the one to break my most valuable box and pour out my most precious ointment in selfless disregard. AMEN