Go Get Your Alabaster Box :)

My pastor preached on Luke 7:36-50 today. One of the Pharisees had asked Jesus to come to his house to eat with him. While they were sitting there eating, a woman from the city who had heard Jesus was there came into the house with an alabaster box of perfume. It is assumed that this woman was a prostitute, and that the oil or perfume she had was a tool of her trade. She sat behind Jesus at his feet, crying, washing His feet with her tears and drying them with her long hair. She kissed His feet and anointed them with her perfume. That perfume was extremely expensive. She poured it all on Him. The Pharisee was angry that Jesus was allowing this woman who was a known sinner to even TOUCH Him, and Jesus knew his thoughts. He told him a story about two men who owed their creditor money. One owed 10 times as much as the other. Neither of them could repay the debt, so the creditor forgave both of them and neither had to repay him. Jesus asked the Pharisee which of the men he thought would be most grateful. The Pharisee answered the one who owed the most. Jesus told him he was right, then went on to mention that the Pharisee had not offered to wash his dusty feet, but the woman had washed His feet with her tears and dried them with her hair; the Pharisee had not greeted Jesus with a kiss but the woman had never ceased kissing His feet since she came in; the Pharisee had not anointed His head with oil, but the woman had anointed Jesus’ feet with perfume. Jesus declared that the woman’s sins were forgiven because she loved much and said those who are forgiven of little love little. Jesus told the woman that her sins were forgiven and that her faith had saved her, and told her to go in peace.

 

Every time I read those words, every time I am sitting in a service and I realize this is part of the message, I immediately tear up. I can’t explain why other than it just resonates within my soul. The whole thing. I can relate to this woman. In some ways I feel like I have been this woman. She came to the end of herself. She must have been tired of living the way she had been living. She knew there was only one thing that she could do to make her better and to end the torture she lived with every day. She had to surrender everything to the One who could take it from her and make her clean and like a brand new person. And she was ready. If she emptied that whole box of perfume on Him, I see that as surrender. It was extremely expensive and she used it all. It was like she was done with it forever. There was no more. That was her offering to Jesus. Her surrender.

 

There have been several times in my life when someone has asked me what I think I will do when I get to Heaven and see Jesus. I have thought about it over and over and my answer never changes. I think I will just drop to my knees, wrap my arms around his legs and cry. Gratefulness, awe, love, humility….and relief. I see this woman doing all of those things. I can so relate.

 

Our sin doesn’t offend Him. He already knows what it is. There are no secrets with Him, although we may fool ourselves into believing that we can hide things from everyone. He knows all of our secrets and all of our struggles. He’s just waiting for us to acknowledge them and give them to Him….surrender them. Why do we hold on to things when He is asking to take them from us? Why do we continue to hurt ourselves when there is someone who can deliver us? Stubborn. Prideful. Arrogant maybe??? I don’t know. Human. He wants to replace all the bad experiences in our lives with the overwhelming love He has for us. Love heals. We just have to be willing to hand Him our junk so He can give us the good stuff. We can’t really hold onto both at the same time. Don’t be ashamed or afraid to lay your burdens at His feet.  Read that passage I was talking about.  If He can forgive her so easily, He can do the same for us.  He's just waiting.......