“….she broke the box and poured [the perfume] over His head.” ~ Mark 14:3
One of the most difficult things for the human soul to do is to part with something. It becomes more difficult if its precious and entirely yours. The heart engages in a tussle, ’Should I or should I not?’
“And while He was in Bethany, [a guest] in the house of Simon the leper, as He was reclining [at table], a woman came with an alabaster jar of ointment (perfume) of pure nard, very costly and precious; and she broke the jar and poured [the perfume] over His head.” Mark 14:3 Amplified
This woman did not give the alabaster jar to Jesus and disappear from the scene. She stood in a place where she knew the people around her despised her. She decided honoring Jesus was worth it, no matter what she had to go through for it. She broke the alabaster jar and anointed Jesus’ head with the oil. The breaking of the box signifies her true act of giving. For once the jar was broken she would not be able to put the pieces of the jar together again or get the oil back. It was given away completely and fully.
True Devotion to God
True and pure devotion to God requires giving our all to the Lord. We give Him our lives and all that is precious, even those things over which we have our say. Jesus made this choice while He lived on earth too. In Luke 22:42 He says, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but [always] Yours be done.”
When those around Jesus censured and reproved her. Jesus said, ‘She has done what she could’.
We too have the choice to do what we want to do. When we choose to do what God wants us instead by making our life an offering, it honors the Lord. Each of us has the capacity within us to surrender to the Lord, but the question is – are we willing?
We cannot imagine what a great sacrifice it was for a holy and perfect Lord Jesus to leave heaven and enter a world that was marred by the abomination of sin, the very opposite of heaven, and endure living among people scarred by sin just so that He could save them all by making a sacrifice of His own life. Can we imagine any human king leave his rich and royal home and live among the poverty of squalor? Jesus crossed a greater divide than any human king ever could or even would!
Redeemed & Set Free
“He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2b
Christ gave His very life for us, suffered shame and endured scorn so that we might be redeemed from all those things that would destroy us. Would you make a choice and surrender everything in your life to the Lord so that you can gain victory over those things that demean and degrade you.
Has the Lord been asking you to surrender something in your life to Him? Trust Him. Give it to Him completely and you will see a great difference in your life when you truly make Jesus the Lord of your life – both in thought and in deed.
Prayer
“Dear Jesus, I cannot stop thanking You for Your great sacrifice on the cross for my sake. I surrender my life to you. Lord, help me to see Your victory in all the areas of my life, especially the ones that pull me down. Have Your way in me. Amen.”
Henrietta Decruz
Henrietta is a writer, singer-songwriter, blogger and social worker based in Kerala, India. Having encountered God closely through life's many ups and downs, she has a passion to use her God-given talents for His glory and to see lives transformed across the nations.
