THE ALABASTER BOX
One of the most beautiful earthly parallels I have heard of ‘Breaking the Alabaster Box’, was the daughter of a sister in Christ who did not have the money to buy gas to visit her on Mother’s Day.
She only lived thirty-five miles from her mother, but had never missed a time of being with her on Mother’s Day, so she went to a pawnshop and pawned her wedding rings.
When asked how she got the money to come she had to tell her. That mother must have felt like the most loved person in the world that day.
An alabaster box or jar was one of very expensive perfume and was for very special occasions…like the one when the woman anointed the head of Jesus. (Matthew 26:7-9). This makes me think of spiritual ‘alabaster boxes’…the one Jesus ‘broke’ for us when He gave His life on the cruel cross so that someday we could be in heaven with Him.
It also makes me think of ‘breaking the alabaster box on things that are not as worthy. Some of the people complained of the woman using the perfume on Jesus and said, “…Could not this have been sold and given to the poor?” The woman recognized that Jesus was worthy of it.
The assembling of the church together is very important…our brothers and sisters in Christ are there…moreover, Christ is there and He commands it. It is worthy of our leaving off other things in order to be there.
But if I sometimes ‘break the alabaster box’ for lesser things, by missing the assembly of the church…’pawning’ Jesus off, maybe I am no different than those who complained about the woman’s offering.
If it is all right to do it once, it is all right to do it many times…and if it all right for one to do that, why can not all do that? And then where would the assembly be?
Our confession and repentance should be as public as the sin we have commited, in order to make it right. There is no sin any more public than missing the assembling of the saints when it is in our power to be there.
Do you think that the daughter mentioned above could just go back in and get her wedding rings without paying (making amends) for them? Of course not...and she will pay more than she received for them….and can I go back into the assembly and get back what I have left there (something very precious indeed) with out making amends.
Thinking back....what have we missed the assembly for, and how worthy do you think it was...compared to Christ and what He has done for us?
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