The Bible doesn’t give us a lot of specifics about what Jesus did between Monday and Wednesday. He taught in the temple and at some point cleared the temple of money changers. Sometime, probably Tuesday or Wednesday, he tried to prepare his disciples for the days ahead. Early in the week, he left Jerusalem to visit his good friends, Mary, Martha and Lazarus. A dinner was held in his honor and at that dinner Mary shocked everyone as she broke a bottle of expensive perfume and anointed Jesus. Interestingly enough, Judas spoke up and accused her of being wasteful as they could have used the money from the sale of the perfume to help the poor. Jesus confronted him with these words,
"Leave her alone. 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."
In Jesus’ humanity surely he was comforted and overwhelmed with Mary’s gift of grace and kindness. Mary's act was extravegant to some but valued by Jesus.
• Is someone you know in need of extravagant grace?.
• If you were Mary, how would you express your love to Jesus? So much of the time we get caught up in our religious words and practices that we don’t give Jesus the deepest part of our heart, with all of the feelings that come from our gratitude for His grace.
There is a song recorded by Cece Winan entitled “Alabaster Box.” It brings me to tears as she sings the words,
“You weren't there the night He found me,
You did not feel what I felt
when he wrapped his love all around me
You don't know the cost of the oil
in my alabaster box”
I encourage you to download it from I-Tunes. Below are the lyrics for the entire song. Every word of this song carries with it authentic emotion and overwhelming gratitude.
The Alabaster Box
The room grew still as she made her way to Jesus
She stumbles through the tears that made her blind
She felt such pain, some spoke in anger,
Heard folks whisper there's no place here for her kind
Still on she came through the shame that flushed her face
Until at last, she knelt before his feet
And though she spoke no words, everything she said was heard
As she poured her love for the Master from her box of alabaster
And I've come to pour my praise on Him
Like oil from Mary's alabaster box
Don't be angry if I wash his feet with my tears
And I dry them with my hair
You weren't there the night He found me
You did not feel what I felt
when he wrapped his love all around me
And you don't know the cost of the oil
In my alabaster box
I can't forget the way life used to be, I was a prisoner to the sin that had me bound
And I spent my days, poured my life without measure
Into a little treasure box I'd thought I'd found
Until the day when Jesus came to me
And healed my soul with the wonder of His touch
So now I'm giving back to Him all the praise He's worthy of
I've been forgiven and that's why I love Him so much
And I've come to pour my praise on Him
Like oil from Mary's alabaster box
Don't be angry if I wash his feet with my tears
And I dry them with my hair
You weren't there the night He found me
You did not feel what I felt
when he wrapped his love all around me
And you don't know the cost of the oil
In my alabaster box
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