“And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.” Mark 14:3
Alabaster boxes were made of a gorgeous marble-like stone called alabaster. Alabaster was a regularly found stone in Israel and one of the precious stones used to decorate Solomon’s temple. These alabaster boxes or jars would be filled with expensive perfume to keep it pure and unspoiled, then sealed with wax to retain and preserve the aroma.
The perfume, like an alabaster box or vial of perfume referenced in Mark 14, was sealed inside; when the owner wanted to utilize it, the seal or neck had to be broken. The perfume stated in this passage would have cost one year’s salary.
The woman in Mark 14 had gone to meet Jesus with her most important item, a costly perfume hidden in an alabaster box. A vessel where once the narrow neck was severed, there was no turning back. Everything would be exposed bare. There was no going back; this was all she had.
With this single act of devotion, love, and sacrifice, she offered Jesus her precious perfume, Spikenard or pure nard. Spikenard represented the best of past cultures in the same way that “Tiffany Diamond” does for us.
Nonetheless, others gathered were angry at her sacrifice. The woman with the alabaster box had brought her most treasured possession and gently approached the Lord. The Bible provides no words from this woman, only her modest gesture of devotion.
I wish I knew what thoughts ran through her mind as she approached the door and entered the chamber where Jesus and His disciples were reclining while eating. The minute His gaze fixed on her, the rest of the world slipped away. Did she understand the significance of her actions when she broke the perfume vial and its aroma filled the room? Did she feel the weight of the moment as she tipped the vial and poured it over him?
The disciples were outraged by her actions and publicly lambasted her for “wasting” the perfume. But she wasn’t there for them, nor was she trying to impress them; she was there to love her Savior.
To keep the perfume fresh and pure, an alabaster box was sealed; opening it required breaking the bottle’s neck. This would quickly release the scent into the air, allowing the woman to use it. The perfume would have to be used right away because there would be no way to stop it again.
The woman with the alabaster box honored Jesus by breaking the box and anointing Him with oil, which she valued. It was the finest she had to offer, and she freely gave it as an act of worship.
The woman with the alabaster box reminds us that we are only serving one Person, regardless of what the world or critics say or who else is present. We are commanded to honor our King and accomplish His work.
The woman with the alabaster box can teach us a great deal about love and sacrifice. How many of us would bring our most valuable possession and present it to our King and Lord?
What is your alabaster box?
Break yours today and worship Jesus. The Father is seeking for true worshippers who will worship in spirit and in truth, irrespective of what others think or say. The Holy Spirit pours the love of God into our hearts and we are expected to pour out our love on Him in worship.
Arise now and worship your King. He deserves the best of the best from the alabaster boxes of our hearts. No wonder David speaks of the sacrifice of God being a broken and a contrite heart.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Psalm 51:17
Out of a broken heart flows the perfume of worship and adoration, submission and surrender to the Lord. Jesus is seeking for true worshippers and the search is still ongoing in every generation.
Will you respond to the call for worshippers?
