Mary and her alabaster box: Anointing Jesus

When you understand the full package of our salvation through the finished works of Christ, you will be compelled to live daily to please Jesus Christ. Imagine committing the worse of all sins, one of which you are liable to imprisonment and you plead guilty. Then the judge handling your case declares you quilty worthy of imprisonment. While you were patiently waiting for the judge to declare the terms of your sentence and how long you will spend in jail, the judge says: ‘You are guilty as charged but I have laid your sin on my only son. He will take the sentence on your behalf. You are free, go but do not commit those things that you did again.’ I believe until someone taps you to show that you are not dreaming, you might find it hard to believe. How can this be? Is this possible? This story is very related to what God did for us through the atoning death of His Son Jesus. Before Jesus died for us, some people were set free from bondages and others also received forgiveness from their sins. This post will consider one woman who received so much from the Lord Jesus Christ and out of her heart gave out her precious possession.

A woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. (Matthew 26:7)

Jesus’ ministry reached out to the sinners and those who the religious leaders of his day shunned. He ministered to maniacs, demon possessed, adulterous people, those with leprosy and blood issues (all tagged unclean by the religious leaders) among many others. According to Luke 7:36, Jesus was invited by a Pharisee to a dinner in his house at a town called Bethany. Jesus accepted the invitation and went and reclined at the table as was the practice. The Pharisee represents the self-righteous religious leaders. While Jesus was there, “a woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.” (Luke 7:37‭-‬38). I can imagine the shock on the face of the Pharisee. John’s gospel even gives more details. This woman is Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus (John 11:2). John also gives details of perfume: “Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” (John 12:3).

Mary did not pour any oil, she poured expensive oil and this act caught the attention of Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed Jesus). Judas objected to Mary’s action and said, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” (John 12: 5). Mary’s worship, which was the anointing of Jesus, was worth a year’s wages! Mary understood what it meant to be loved irrespective of your past. She didn’t hold on to her alabaster jar, she poured it on Jesus’ feet. Judas on the other hand, although had been with Jesus all this while, cared not about worshiping Him with his best. In fact, according to the gospel of John, Judas didn’t make that comment because he really cared about the poor. Judas was a thief and as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it (John 12:6). Judas lived with Jesus, travelled with Jesus, ministered with Jesus and even was sent to heal the sick and share the Good News but he was not transformed, and Judas couldn’t lay before the feet of Jesus what matters most to him. Mary encountered Jesus, received a transformation and gave out her most expensive perfume to honour Jesus.

Even the Pharisee who had invited Jesus said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.” (Luke 7:39).
“Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said. “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” (Luke 7:40‭-‬47).

Before Mary left the house, Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven” and, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace” (Luke 7:48‭, ‬50). Mary left relieved and satisfied. She fulfilled her call to anoint Jesus. Her action was not to gain commendation, according to Jesus, “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” (John 12:7‭-‬8). Remember, after the death of Jesus, by the time the women got to the tomb on the third day to anoint Jesus, He had already resurrected. Imagine if Mary had missed that!

What do you have to pour at the feet of Jesus today? One gospel musician (MOG) said, “we lay our crowns and worship You”. Be ready to lay down that which matters most to you at the feet of Jesus. Your degree, wealth, marriage, job, children etc., should not prevent you from worship. Mary broke her very expensive alabaster jar, and worshipped even when it seemed foolish to the Pharisee and Judas Iscariot. Don’t allow naysayers to disrupt you, worship Christ with what matters most to you (your crown). He deserves it!

Lot’s wife: The dangers of looking back

Have you ever wanted something so badly that even though you knew that it is not good for you, you still went ahead to have it? Desires and cravings if not controlled can lead one to make the wrong choices and decisions. Whatever does not add to us, takes away a virtue from us and as such we should be very intentional about what we desire for. We shall consider one woman whose desire to look back to see what she left behind caused her to lose her life. Lot’s wife was a mother to two girls and obviously the wife of Lot. The only name we have is Lot’s wife so let’s call her Mrs. Lot. Like many women in the Bible, Mrs. Lot is not heard of much. The Bible does not tell us much about her personality. Let’s imagine that she was happily married to Lot and they were blessed with two daughters. Mr. and Mrs. Lot lived with Abraham and family until a conflict arose between the herdsmen of Abraham and Lot. For peace to prevail, Abraham  said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives. Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.” (Genesis 13:8‭-‬9)

We are not told whether Lot consulted his wife before making this all important decision. “Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company” (Genesis 13:10‭-‬11). These verses reveal the heart of Lot when he chose the best of the land. His wife and children and all he had followed him to the well watered land which was like the Garden of the Lord. Mr. and Mrs. Lot moved and “lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord” (Genesis 13:12‭-‬13). Moving to the well watered land had its own implications and Lot and his wife suddenly became part of a sinful community whose act of sin became so obnoxious to God that they were marked for destruction. How did Mrs. Lot survive in such an infiltrating environment? Did she have friends from the city? How did she manage her household to live holy in the midst of the stench of sin? Unfortunately, even though Abraham bargained up to ten righteous souls, Mr. and Mrs. Lot did not even have servants who were not polluted by the sins of Sodom. 

But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. (Genesis 19:26)

Lot and the family hosted the two divine men who were sent by God to destroy the cities and that caused the men of the land to attack Lot’s house. “The two men said to Lot, “Do you have anyone else here—sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of here, because we are going to destroy this place. The outcry to the Lord against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it” (Genesis 19:12‭-‬13). Even the men who had pledged to marry the children of Lot were not ready to leave the sinful city. The men brought the family out of the city and “as soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!” (Genesis 19:17). Looking back was no option. The mess in Sodom was not healthy for the family and God saved Lot’s family because of his covenant with Abraham. Don’t look back should have echoed in their eyes and with fear and trembling, the family would have run with all the strength in them. Their future was ahead of them, their past was behind them. All that they possessed, their house, their animals, their expensive garments, the beautiful gold accessories, the friends, the pomp of their lives were all left behind in Sodom. “But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt” (Genesis 19:26).

Mrs. Lot was rescued from Sodom but she became a monument of salt reminding us of the dangers of looking back. She lost all that she possessed and the single act of looking back to see what she lost led to the loss of her life. She was saved from Sodom but did not reach her destination. Whenever we are saved from the lust and passions of this world, we should be intentional about looking up to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Looking back could be disastrous and can cause one to miss the destination. Our future is ahead, what lies behind is a baggage of sinful acts that pulls us from knowing God. In the past, we were slaves to our sinful passions. Now, we are children of the Most High God and our focus is things above not those behind. Mrs. Lot looked back and lost her soul. We should be intentional about looking unto Jesus. The old ways of life are permanently closed and we should not desire it nor look back to see what we have lost. The truth is, we lost nothing but gained everything. 

He will purify us from all unrighteousness

One of the things most people find it hard to do is to confess to one another the wrong we have done to each other. Sometimes, people confess not because they are genuinely remorseful but so as to be trusted again. The truth is we don’t walk around with X-rays and scanning machines to know what is in each other’s hearts. However, God does see the depths of our hearts. In the same way confessing our sins to God should come out of genuine brokenness. Confession should not just be a routine exercise but it should come from a broken and a contrite heart. Psalm 51:17 says that the Lord will not despise a broken and contrite heart.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.(1 John 1:9)

When we confess our sins to God, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). God sees when we are genuinely remorseful. David in the Bathsheba encounter committed adultery and murder and God’s anger was on David. But, David showed a legitimate repentance. He prayed for forgiveness and asked God to forgive him of his iniquities. Indeed God forgave David but the child born from this adulterous encounter died. David prayed for the child to live, but the child still died. Our actions have consequences and even if God forgives our sins, the laws of our countries will deal with us accordingly. Before you vent out your anger or do something you know will have bad consequences, know that the law is no respecter of persons.

Let us pray together with David:
“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me” (Psalms 51:1-2; 10‭-‬12).

Sin makes us unrighteous before God but when God purifies us, He cleanses us from all unrighteousness. Reach out to one another in genuine repentance for it is the will of God that we live at peace with one another.