” And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask/ jar/ box of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke that flask and poured it on His head. But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, “why was this fragrant oil wasted? For it might have sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they criticized her sharply.” Mark 14:3-5.
“And behold, 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.” Luke 7:37-38.
I’ve started reading Lady In Waiting by Jackie Kendall & Debby Jones. It’s a book that every woman should read weather they are single or married. It’s relevant to both. In reading this book, I’ve stumble upon something of value.
When the woman broke her jar of oil at His feet the Pharisee’s criticized her for wasting such costly oil. They were only looking at it’s monetary value. They weren’t looking at what that oil meant to her. She wasn’t wasting money. Her sacrifice was much more meaningful than it’s monetary value.
” In the days Jesus was on earth, when a young 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 honor.” – Lady in Waiting”
I believe that when she broke her alabaster jar at His feet that what she was really saying, was “I choose Jesus. I choose to honor Jesus. I choose to love and obey Jesus. I choose to put Jesus first before all men. I choose to make Jesus my first love.”
She knew the monetary value of that oil. But she didn’t care about that. I imagine she wept for the sinner she was. She wept for the cost of her sin, not the cost of the oil.
The Pharisees may have criticized her, but Jesus championed her.
“Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman had done will also be told as a memorial to her.” Matthew 26:13
She went down in history as the woman who poured out at Jesus’ feet.
What will you be known for?
From Glory To Glory 