"While he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment of nard, and she broke open the jar and poured the ointment on his head. But some were there who said to one another in anger, “Why was the ointment wasted in this way? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor.” And they scolded her. But Jesus said, “Let her alone; why do you trouble her? She has performed a good service for me. For you always have the poor with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish; but you will not always have me.”
- Mark 14:3-7
In those days women had dowries so that they could be married. This alabaster jar filled with oil was a very costly thing, and is was most likely her dowry. Without this her chances of getting married and having children were very low, yet you see her smashing the jar and anointing Christ. This act was not just her anointing Christ for the crucifixion, it was also this woman devoting her entire life and her future to Christ. This was a radical act of faith!
How often do we give our whole life to Christ? How often do we devote everything we have and our future to him?
Another thing I thought is that she could have easily just dripped a few drops on him and kept the rest for herself, to secure her future. I admit that if I was her I would have done that!
"And the woman opened the jar and took out a few drops and sprinkled them on Jesus."
That is not how it reads! If I was her it may have read that way, but thankfully I was not that woman! It is said that this may have been the woman who had the seven demons cast out of her. Jesus had saved her and forgiven her and in return out of her devotion to him she broke her future and gave every last drop to him. She didn't save any drops, she smashed the jar! These thing ensured that she could not take it back and that it was fully for Christ.
I ask you, as well as myself, are you willing to do that? He has saved us and forgiven us as well! Then why is it we like to keeps drops of our life just in case God does not come through for us? We say we are giving our whole life to him yet we keep something back. It is either a piece of our heart, our faith, our life, our future, etc.
I know that it is so easy for me to keep a little piece of myself back from people, and God as well. I always want to keep a little bit of the "old man" in my life. I like to give it CPR and keep it alive instead of killing it completely. I lay myself on the alter and hand God a rubber knife... I want to commit my time to Him, but then I have days where I would rather have "me time" (sleeping in, reading whatever I want, watching T.V., etc.) then devote that time to Him. I want a relationship, but I have times where I do not feel like talking to Him (and sadly I tend to do this to people as well). The list goes on and on!
I scoop out oil from my jar, my life and my heart, and I slowly empty it on him little by little, so that I always have a little left just in case. Why can't I just smash the jar?! I get so angry with myself, my flesh, and how I want to keep some of myself and how I want to give my life to him but not all the hours of my day. I fear radical faith. I have past wounds that keep me from giving my whole heart to anyone and being completely vulnerable, even to God. This is painful though, I want to give Him everything yet I can't seem to do it!
Can we al do ourself a favor and smash our jars above His head? Can we all tear down the walls in our hearts? Can we devote our entire life to Him? We want to keep that little bit of time and that little bit of stuff and that little bit of money, it is ALL going to be gone someday! And all we will have left is our life with Him and the time and devotion we spend on Him. Will we "waste our life" on Him?
Can we all just say this and try to live it out, with His power only?
Dear God, Beloved, and Comforter,
Take my life. I want to waste it away and give it all to you. Help me to smash the jar of my life and give every last drop of oil to you and your Kingdom. It is so hard God... I cannot do it myself... I need trust Lord! Help me trust you and give you everything! I want no regrets when I stand before your throne. I want to hear you say "well done, good and faithful servant" with everything I am! Give my your grace to do this! Let me become radical in my love and devotion and faith in you.
Love,
Your Child
Anther thing, this jar is going to keep coming back. We need to break it over and over again. As oil builds up we need to pour it out. "I die daily" (1 Corinthians 15:31) that is the mentality we need to have. I pray God will help me to have it more and more, and I pray the same for you.
Let's all smash our jars, because all we need in our future is Him. Let his throne be surrounded by our broken jars and his feet by drenched in the oil of our lives!
Keeping the faith,
C.A.M.
Photo Credit: http://speakin-colors.blogspot.com/2009/11/word-distinction-breaking-things.html
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