The Alabaster Box

Scripture: Matthew 26 v 7: "There came unto Him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on His head......" 


This box contained a very expensive perfume and the unnamed woman came to Jesus to pour the whole bottle over His head while He was eating. She did this as an expression of her love for Him because He had ministered healing and deliverance to her. He said that what she had done for Him must be shared forever wherever the Gospel is preached all over the world.

It was something that really upset His disciples though. They considered it a waste of costly perfume which could have been sold and the money given to the poor. Jesus called it a good work as it was done for His burial although before His death.  Only He knew that there would be no time for burial ointments immediately after His death and before they could reach His Body He would be resurrected.

We need to break our alabaster box within us so that the power of the Holy Spirit can flow forth from our hearts. Our hardness of heart must yield to the Saviour no matter what the cost.  The alabaster box represents our soul with all its flaws and bondages. Until it is broken the essence of Christ cannot flow, it remains sealed within us and trapped in our unbroken souls.

In 2 Corinthians 2 Jesus makes manifest the fragrance of His knowledge through us to the whole world. He has to break through our flesh to release this sweet odour so that everywhere we go we spread it around.  Our flesh puts up a struggle which blocks the release of our spirit to touch the needs of others.

The Spirit of God is moving, stirring up righteousness, stirring the Living Waters so don't be left stranded on the shore, but jump in and flow with Him in glorious liberty.  He wants to use each one of us in small or great ways to reveal His love and bring people to salvation.

Don't become a stumbling block through your stubbornness, pride and religion.  Religion is a system of binding rules and rites to help you please God.  Stubbornness is as the sin of idolatry, including self-idolatry.  Pride is when we consider ourselves superior to others and have created a self-image we expect everyone to acknowledge.  When anyone fails to respond to our projected image, but sees through to our real self, we are offended.  Pride sees no wrong in oneself, is deluded and deceived and the proud person cannot be ministered to in any way.  God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble.

Christianity is the life of freedom given by God when He finds you. Pour out the contents of your broken marble box to glorify Jesus in His resurrection power. It will show Him that we are willing to sacrifice everything we treasure to bless Him.  Humility is not a weakness, it is our strength yielded to God for Him to control and use.  Humility always gives credit and glory to our Saviour.

An unbroken alabaster box is like trying to ride an unbroken horse.  It bucks and fights and throws the rider off, runs away and is aggressive.  When we hide and resist the ministry of the Lord and the truth of the gospel, we have to struggle alone until confronted by the choice of life or death.  The Holy Spirit says the He will not always strive with Man.  He will withdraw from those who continually resist Him.

So let us take our complete lives into consideration and measure them by what God says in His Word.  If any part of our lives is not in line with His righteousness, He will not change His mind.  We must change, we must yield, we must submit and surrender until we can say sincerely, It is no longer I that liveth but Christ that liveth in me.


Prayer: Father God I pray that today You will break our alabaster boxes to pour forth the love, peace, joy and truth of the Gospel to a dying world. Help us to let that sweet savour of Christ permeate the atmosphere wherever we go. Let us glorify You. In Jesus' name. Amen.