My Alabaster Box

One of my most favorite stories in the Bible is the story of Mary Magdalene. This woman was well known for prostitution among other things until she met Jesus. One can only surmise that her salvation was a shock to those around her given her history. Yet, Jesus still forgave her sins and made her whole again. We don’t know much about this woman’s life other than her history, yet God made a promise to her, this former prostitute, saying that she would be in the Scriptures. What had this woman done to warrant the attention of God in such a way that God would make such a promise? This woman who’s profession is still to this day considered questionable and wrong by most of society. The only answer I can give is that she loved Jesus. This was not an artificial love or a love brought on by attraction. This was a true love of gratefulness for everything that Christ had done for her. She wanted to honor and thank Him for everything He’d done. So what did she do? She brought an alabaster box filled with precious ointment to Him. Alabaster is a type of quartz and is known to be expensive in Bible times. One can only surmise that the ointment was expensive as well due to the container it was in. The price? A year’s wages. This sign of gratitude and love not only cost her money but it cost her, her pride. Jesus was eating at a Pharisee’s house. A Pharisee was known to look down on anyone beneath his stature or prominence. When she came to the room where Jesus was, people started talking and staring, not in a loving way, but in a scornful way. She didn’t care; she had a mission and she had to get to Jesus. As she knelt at His feet, she wept and washed His feet with her tears and dried His feet with her hair. Then she broke the box of precious ointment, anointed His feet, and kissed them. Feet are still to this day considered gross. No one wants to touch each other’s feet much less wash and kiss them. Yet she loved Jesus so much she humbled herself before Him and washed His feet. What love!
                                                                                                                                                   

My pastor preached a message on this story last Sunday morning. He brought up a point that I had never thought of before. He asked “What is in your alabaster box? What is so precious that you won’t give to Jesus?” I immediately searched in my heart for something that I was keeping from God. There were some things I knew weren’t perfect but I knew I wasn’t withholding it them from God. Then God pointed to a box on the very top shelf of my heart and said “That one.” Immediately, I knew what God was talking about yet I resisted. I’ve always wanted things my way. My life was going to work out in this certain way: I was going to be in the ministry, I was going to have 5 children, I was going to live in a beautiful house, and I was going to be rich. These hopes and dreams are not wrong in the thought of them; however, they were not God’s. I did not want to give up my box at all. Throughout the service, God kept looking at that box wondering if I was going to relinquish it to Him. He said not a word but His eyes drilled my soul. I kept saying no and giving God other things on my shelf hoping He’d be pleased. But they were meaningless things that I knew wouldn’t cost me a thing. I kept trying to hide it from His view. God knew and He still said nothing, He just looked. At the time of the invitation, I went to the altar and told God that if He wanted me single for the rest of my life that was fine.  He seemed pleased but I knew what could make Him really happy.

I couldn’t stop thinking about my box and my heart grew heavy with the turmoil of my selfishness. I started thinking about this women who had given one of her most precious possessions to Jesus without a moment of hesitation. She loved Him so much that she just had to give it to Him. I looked at my box and opened it. I found a piece of sheet of music symbolizing what I wanted to do with my life-be a church piano player. I found a wedding ring symbolizing that I wanted to get married. I found a baby rattle symbolizing that I wanted children. I found money symbolizing that I wanted to be rich. I found a picture of my friends and family symbolizing that I wanted to keep them with me always and never be alone. The last thing I found was a list. A list of everything I wanted and every desire that had yet to be fulfilled. Every dream and every hope I had was on that list. Things that I had wished so long ago that even I had forgotten about. I looked at the Lord and with tears in my eyes, I hesitated and said “I can’t give it to You. I’m sorry. I just can’t do it.” I meditated on the story for a long time that afternoon and God kept looking at that box that used to be on the top shelf of my heart. He said not a word. Inside I was shaking from the turmoil but I still clutched my box. Then I read the story again. I read the verse where she broke the box of her own accord. Then this thought came to light: Mary broke the box willingly. Whether or not it was actually breaking the box in half or just breaking the seal doesn’t matter, she opened it up herself and the precious ointment flowed out of it. God never asked her or told her to break it. She did it out of love. There was no turning back after that box had been broken. There was no way she could, even if she wanted to, put that precious ointment back in the box. It was either break the box or nothing in her mind. I stared at my box with its precious belongings-my hopes, my dreams, and my desires. I closed it and weeping, I broke it and let those things that I considered precious fall at Jesus’ feet. He smiled at me and I know at that moment the One I have wanted to please all my life was truly pleased. I cried but this time it was out of pure love and joy.

 My alabaster box now lies on the top shelf in my mind broken and empty. I knew if I ever kept that box intact, I would want to take my belongings back sooner or later so I broke it. My box will never be restored and the cracks will never be repaired, yet what I consider precious is now in Jesus’ feet and I know in my heart He will make them into more than I could ever do on my own. God never asked me for it but I knew I had to please the One I hold so dear.

So my question to you is: What’s in your alabaster box? Have you given it to the Lord or are you still clutching white-knuckled on to it? I encourage you to give it to Him. You don’t have to break it like I did, just place it in His hands and walk away. A simple step but it’s so hard to let go, I know I‘ve struggled with this for many years. It’s going to be fine and pretty soon you’ll wonder why it took you so long to give it to Him. I’m reminded of a song that Casting Crowns sings called At Your Feet, the song says…

Here at Your feet I lay my future down

All of my dreams I give to You now

And I find peace, I find peace

My soul sings, Jesus at Your feet

O, to dwell and never leave

Jesus, Jesus at Your Feet

There is nowhere for me

Until next time,

Be happy being single.

Always remember to sing in the rain.

Christa