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Sometimes broken things fascinate me. It was a passion with my Dad to fix broken things. He was an engineer without a degree. If something was beyond repair, he would set the thing aside to make sure there were no parts or pieces that could be used to fix something else. I cannot testify that he ever threw anything away except maybe used paper towels or Kleenex. There isn’t enough room here to itemize all the handy tools and gadgets that Dad had engineered.

When he passed away, my sister and I found little bitty pieces parts organized in boxes, cans, and other containers that gave us no clue what they were for or from whence they came. The one thing we could not find was the key to the Coca-Cola machine that still worked perfectly and took a dime to dispense a Coke.
Some things must be broken. Things like seals on pill bottles, or sealed tubes of glue, or packages filled with seeds to plant. Seed casings have to break so the plant can grow roots as well as leaves to live and produce more seeds. We tear open presents to get at the wonder within, we crack nuts to eat the meat. So many wonderful things come from breaking.

The Bible mentions alabaster in several places, probably the more famous mention is when Mary breaks the alabaster jar to anoint Jesus’ head and feet six days before the Passover. We’ll look first at the three places this one instance is described in the three Gospels of Matthew, Mark and John. The instance Luke mentions when Jesus is in the house of a Pharisee to dine occurs at the beginning of His ministry, and is different from this instance.

Matthew 26:6 - 7 And Jesus being in Bethany, in Simon the leper's house, 7 a woman came to Him having an alabaster vial of ointment, very precious. And she poured it on His head as He reclined.

Mark 14:3 And He being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as He reclined, a woman came, having an alabaster vial of pure, costly ointment of nard. And breaking the alabaster vial, she poured it down His head.

John 12:1 - 3 Then six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, who had died, whom He raised from the dead. 2Then they made Him a supper there, and Martha served. But Lazarus was one of those reclining with Him. 3Then taking a pound of ointment of pure, costly spikenard, Mary anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped off His feet with her hairs. And the house was filled with the odor of the ointment.

An important thing to note here is this incident is testified three times. This means it is of life or death importance. We understand from these verses several wonderful things. Jesus knows it is six days before His arrest, trial, and agonizing ordeal at the cross, yet He sits and dines with friends. His cup is full with the fellowship.

Lazarus received Life from the breath of Jesus’ spoken words, “Lazarus, come forth!” Lazarus was in a state that he could not ask for help. Jesus chose to come to Bethany – the house of misery – and raise him from the dead. Both Martha and Mary believed in some far off power of resurrection, not expecting Jesus to speak three words and their brother would be back in their midst. Martha served. Mary worshiped.

Martha served. She made sure Jesus received the choice morsels from the kitchen. Those words, Martha served, say so much. The first time we meet Martha, she is serving. The second time, we meet Martha she first hears that Jesus is coming, then she meets Him. This is the servant: The one who goes out of her way to make things easier for others. Jesus most likely was just outside Bethany when Martha drops everything and runs to meet Him. Here, the third time we see Martha, she is again serving the meal.

Mary worshiped. Mary sat at Jesus’ feet. She absorbed the dust He stirred, drinking in the Living Water of His Words. This is why, I believe, God used Mary to prepare Jesus for His ordeal. She knew even then that the most costly thing she owned could never pay Jesus back for all He had done for her and her family. She knew that anointing had special meaning in a priestly and a kingly way. Anointing with oil or as in this case costly perfume was part of the consecration described in Exodus 29:7 And you shall take the oil of anointing and shall pour on his head, and shall anoint him. The Hebrew word here is mishchâh moshchâh (pronounced meesh-khaw', mosh-khaw') meaning a consecratory gift. How fascinating this meaning has when we read about Mary’s costly gift of the alabaster jar filled with spikenard.

Archeologists found some in King Tut’s tomb, still strongly fragrant in its alabaster jar, which is amazing after so many centuries. The sample found in Tut’s tomb had an animal fat base with the resin of spikenard smelling slightly like coconut oil. This is not your basic suntan oil fragrance, but a wood musk with a smoky, earthy overlay and a hint of fresh coconut. Pick up a coconut in the grocery store and smell the husk. That’s probably close.

This unguent or ointment illustrates Jesus’ priestly state, His kingship, and His humanness. Mary was not a prophet, so she would not have known how Jesus would die, or where His wounds would be. The analgesic for His head and His feet, I think are another amazing illustration. To me this exemplifies Jesus’ divine nature and His human body. What a perfect illustration.

The casing for the ointment is hard alabaster. Mary broke (suntribō soon-tree'-bo – shattered into pieces, broken into shivers, crushed, bruised) the jar. Scholars disagree with me on this point saying the broken pieces of the jar could not easily be separated from the pure oil, so it must be that she only broke the seal. The text does not say she broke the seal, but that she broke the jar. Spikenard ointment was more solid than liquid. Slivers and pieces of stone could not easily penetrate into the solid ointment. Explorers of Tut’s tomb noticed the perfume turned viscous from the warmth of their hands. Mary probably held the perfume in her hands over Christ’s head, and it poured down from between them. Then she rubbed His feet with that which was still in her hands, then wiped His feet with her hair. The lowliest servant in any household was the servant that washed the feet of guests.

Jesus said her actions were symbolic. He pointed out to the indignant Judas Iscariot that she had prepared Him for His burial. He might would have explained further, but people were pressing in on them to see Jesus and to see Lazarus, the man raised from the dead.

I do not think I am reading anything into the text when I see a direct correlation between Jesus’ frail human body being crushed under the weight of Roman torture. The sweetness of His submission to God’s will. The consecrated gift of His sacrifice so that we might live eternally with Him in Heaven. All together being a sweet, strong fragrance in God’s nostrils, for centuries. The glorified body of Christ raised from the dead early Sunday morning. That fragrance rose to the heights of Heaven.

This family of three represents so many spiritual truths, it is difficult to fathom them all. Jesus gives us eternal life when we believe in Him. We then serve Him, being His hands and feet. We worship Him with all we have, submitting our will to His, sitting at His feet, drinking in His refreshing Living Water. But, above all, no man has any greater love than that He lay down His life for His friends.

"God's Words For US" from Cecelia Lester

Renew a Right Spirit