AN ALABASTER BOX

I had a conversation the other day with my good Catholic friend.  Now I can’t remember why we were even on the subject but he told me that the one “story” from the Bible that gave him the most encouragement was the raising of Lazarus from the dead.  I thought a little about that on that day but not much, truly.  Monday of this week, I was hearing some Southern gospel and a song came on titled “Four Days Late”.  This song told the story of Lazarus (imagine) so I began to listen.  In the song, it talks about how that Jesus didn’t come right away but waited till Lazarus had been dead for four days.  All hope seemed to be gone.  But as it happened, Jesus came and raised his friend Lazarus from the dead.  The song’s point was that “isn’t it great when He’s four days late, He’s still on time”. 

What I want to talk about today happened six days before Passover back in the days of Jesus. This story is told similarly in the gospels of Matthew 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9,  and John 12:1-8 just in case you want to read them.  They are attributed to be from the same event.   I brought up Lazarus because on this particular day, Jesus was in a house in Bethany and Lazarus was there also.  This was after Lazarus had been resurrected.  They were in this house for a meal, a supper, a most important meal--probably a meal of fellowship and friendship and possibly there was much joy that Lazarus, too, was there.  From the readings, it leads us to believe that several people were in attendance.

The Gospel of Matthew 26:7 says “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.”   The story in John elaborates that "Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment."  (Spikenard is  an aromatic perennial herb of the Himalaya Mountains, having rose-purple flowers.)  Of course, the disciples there, being just like we are most times, were complaining that using this real expensive ointment was a huge waste.    Shucks, it could have been sold for a lot of money and given to the poor.   How dare she use it in a wasteful way?  

Jesus answered them in Matthew 26:10-13 like this, “…why trouble ye the woman?  For she hath wrought a good work upon me.  For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always.  For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial.  Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.”

A memorial.  Of her.  She did a good thing with an alabaster box of ointment.  An act to her Lord  from her heart.   An alabaster box….. a box of a fine-texture usually white and translucent gypsum often carved into vases and ornaments holding an ointment that itself is very costly. 

I can never hear of any box or gifted item such as this without remembering an experience in my own life that I must share here.  Several years ago, I directed the Children’s Choir and we had fun singing together. If I remember correctly, the particular Wednesday was Valentine’s week.  One of the little guys, probably in kindergarten then—maybe middle schoolish by now—came into practice and sweetly handed me a gift.   Now this is the little guy with the reputation of much mischief.  (I could always see through that mischief to his sweet heart.)   His gift was a little paper mache heart shaped box that he had done in school that day….red and white with foam stick ons.  I declared it’s beauty and thanked him profusely for it.  His mother told me later that he brought it home, got it out, and she had begun to thank him when he said, “It’s not for you, it’s for Ms. Bwenda.”  The poor mother.  I felt bad for her just for a minute, then my joy at my own good fortune took over my emotions.   She, of course, was laughing about it and we  get joy from the story now years later but I’ll tell you that my heart was REALLY warm and fuzzy.  That little box sits on a shelf in my studio room still today and every time I look at it, I am reminded of a child’s love.  For me.  And I feel good all over again.

When I think of Mary’s alabaster box, I think of the love that she had for her Lord.  To her, the cost didn't matter.  She was giving the best to Him she could give.  I wonder if I give Him as much from my own alabaster box as I should.  Do I give the best I can to Him? Or do I worry more about what my best will cost me?    I know the Lord knows my heart, my faults, and loves me anyway.   I know the importance of love, praise, worship, and glory to HIS name as well as the strength and spirit-filled joy it gives me in my life to exercise that love, praise, worship, and glory to HIS name.  I am so blessed, as Mary was, to call Him MY Savior and Lord.

At last fall’s Bible Study I attended, a song was sang that I had never heard before titled “Alabaster Box”.  It touched me and every lady hearing it that night.   I thought I would share the lyrics with you as I close today's post.  It goes like this:

“The room grew still

As she made her way to Jesus

She stumbles through the tears that made her blind

She felt such pain

Some spoke in anger

Heard folks whisper

There's no place here for her kind

Still on she came

Through the shame that flushed her face

Until at last, she knelt before his feet

And though she spoke no words

Everything she said was heard

As she poured her love for the Master

From her box of alabaster

And I've come to pour

My praise on Him

Like oil from Mary's alabaster box

Don't be angry if I wash his feet with my tears

And I dry them with my hair

You weren't there the night He found me

You did not feel what I felt

When he wrapped his love all around me and

You don't know the cost of the oil

In my alabaster box

I can't forget the way life used to be

I was a prisoner to the sin that had me bound

And I spent my days

Poured my life without measure

Into a little treasure box

I'd thought I'd found

Until the day when Jesus came to me

And healed my soul

With the wonder of His touch

So now I'm giving back to Him

All the praise He's worthy of

I've been forgiven

And that's why

I love Him so much”

What will you give Him from your alabaster box?