An alabaster box is a delicate container crafted from a fine-grained, translucent stone, historically used to store precious ointments and perfumes. This beautiful vessel serves as a powerful metaphor for our role in God’s plan. Just as alabaster boxes were reserved for valuable contents, the Lord Jesus has chosen us to be special vessels, carrying His precious anointing to bring light, liberation, and the manifestation of His glory to a world in need. However, to fulfill this purpose, we must be willing to be molded and shaped by God, allowing Him to transform us into the vessels He needs us to be.The true value of something precious lies not in its storage, but in its use.
“Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.”John 12:3. Mary taught us a powerful lesson of surrender and worship. She didn’t just bring her best; she broke the alabaster jar, releasing the fragrance and surrendering it all to Jesus. As the house was filled with the scent, we see that true worship and surrender require us to let go of our attachment to our gifts, talents, and resources. It’s not enough to offer God our best; we must also be willing to break it at His feet, signifying total surrender. When we do, the fragrance of what we carry – our gifts, our passions, our lives overflows and fills our communities and the world. This was also a declaration of devotion, a sacrifice of her most precious possession. She chose to honor Jesus above all else, even above the criticism and judgment of others. As we follow Jesus, we are called to similar surrender, laying down our lives, our dreams, and our desires at His feet.
As we reflect on Mary’s example, let us ask ourselves: ✝️ What are we holding onto that prevents us from fully surrendering to God? ✝️What jars of perfume, what gifts and talents, what dreams and desires are we reluctant to break at His feet?
🙇♀️🙇♀️I encourage us to break it all at His feet and allow the fragrance of brokenness impact the world around us