Friday, March 14, 2025
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
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
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