WHY THE 'BOX'?

Read: A section in each Gospel (linked below)
Matthew 26:6-13
Mark 14:1-66
Luke 7:36-50
John 12:1-11 (**See note)





There is an account in each one of the gospels about a woman who pours out her alabaster jar on Jesus as an act of her love and devotion to Him. In these accounts, people watching her do this criticize her harshly because they deem her act to be foolish and incredibly wasteful. They thought this because at the time, alabaster jars stored very expensive perfume. From what I understand, they were so valuable that they could have been included as part of the dowry of a Jewish woman. So, for a woman to take part or all of her dowry and wastefully pour it all out, at once, was too much for the onlookers to fathom. Jesus' response to both the onlookers and to the woman who offered him this unabashed act of affection was that what she had done was a beautiful thing. In fact, He said that it was such a splendid thing that "wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her." (Matthew 26:13 and Mark 14:9)

About five years ago, I did a bible study during which the study touched on the subject of the 'alabaster box' (also called 'jar'). The Lord showed me through that study that although I don't have a dowry, I do have an alabaster box. Within that box is the most treasured, cherished, valued and costly thing that I have in my life. At the the time that He showed me this, I did not yet know what my box contained. It wasn't perfume, but it was just as costly as the nard that was in the woman's jar from scripture. This truth was so heavy on my heart and it never left me. Over time, the Lord revealed to me what was in my alabaster box. It was a seemingly simple thing.... my heart. Just as the Lord called beautiful the lavish affection that the woman showed in pouring out her box on Him, so would He say the same to me. All I needed to do was open my box and pour out my heart on Him, without reserving anything for myself.

It took me several years once I understood this call from Him to be able to have the faith to act on this conviction. But, when I finally chose to open that box and lavish the contents of my heart on Him, He has been faithful to respond to me with the same response he offered the Jewish woman in the bible. It has been out of the sacrifice of that alabaster box of mine that I have come to know beautiful intimacy with the Lord. And, I believe it is because of the 'wasted' cost of it's contents that He has responded by filling me with a gift far more valuable---He has given me Himself. It is for this reason that I chose to name my blog after the concept of this 'box'.

Listen: 'More Precious Than Silver'

**After much studying of these passages, I realize that there reasonable debate over whether each of these sections are in fact, an account of the exact same event. I chose to include them all, regardless of the seemingly lack of clarity on this issue. I decided this because the message conveyed to me can be seen in each passage, even if they are actually records of separate events.