BROKENNESS AND WORSHIP
“There came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head”--Mark 14:3
The Character of the Box
The box the woman brought to Jesus represents us, all of us, —our body, soul and spirit (1 Thess. 5:23). We, like this box, must be presented to Jesus in such a way that that which is within us, the worship which He so richly deserves, can be poured out upon Him.
With this in mind, think about the character of this box: First it was not without significance, in and of itself. Such boxes were usually beautiful in their design, and this woman probably thought quite a bit about her box. But she knew that however precious it was to her, it would have to be broken before she could worship Jesus as she wanted to. How many Christian’s attachment to their “box”—their pride, their plans, etc.—prevent them from being broken, even for Jesus’ sake?
Another thing we have in common with this woman is that her box was very strong; it was made of alabaster—one of the strongest materials available in that day. The love of some believers for their ways, and the strength of their wills, prevent them from ever offering Jesus the innermost worship or their hearts. They simply can’t bear the thought of, much less bring themselves to the place of brokenness.
The Contents of the Box
As to the contents of this woman’s box, the preciousness of it is made clear in the Bible. We’re told that it contained ointment of spikenard, “very precious” and “very costly” (Matt. 26:7; Luke 14:3; John 11:3). The fact that there was an intended purpose for the contents of this box is made clear to us too. Simply stated, what was in the box was meant to be poured out on Jesus.
God wants us to worship Him from the depths of our being. Just as the most precious pearls lie deepest in the sea and the highest-grade diamonds and gold are deepest in the earth, there is praise and gratitude, “a high grade” of worship ” from deep within us that God deserves. The Lord deserves more than shallow, surface, superficial worship. The psalmist said, “I will praise thee O Lord with my whole heart” (Ps. 9:1). Is it your intention to “Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name,” and to “worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness” (Ps. 29:2) even though it means your own brokenness?
The Crushing of the Box
For the precious ointment of spikenard could be poured out, something was required; the woman had to see to the breaking her box. Nobody did it for her. She did it herself. Do you have a “box” a “self” that has become hardened by pride or self-will? Do you love your box, the way things are, more than you love Jesus and the way things could be in terms of your worship and relationship with Him.? The Holy Spirit will help you bring about the brokenness that’s needed if you ask him, but other than this, no one can break your box but you.
What resulted when the woman broke her box for Jesus sake? John 12:3 says, “The house was filled with the odour of the ointment.” There was a noticeable change; she was aware of it and everyone around her noticed it too. A new freshness, and sweetness permeated her world. This is what happens when we let our spirits be broken for Jesus’ sake. Revival will take place: “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones” (Isa. 57:15).
“There came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head”--Mark 14:3
The Character of the Box
The box the woman brought to Jesus represents us, all of us, —our body, soul and spirit (1 Thess. 5:23). We, like this box, must be presented to Jesus in such a way that that which is within us, the worship which He so richly deserves, can be poured out upon Him.
With this in mind, think about the character of this box: First it was not without significance, in and of itself. Such boxes were usually beautiful in their design, and this woman probably thought quite a bit about her box. But she knew that however precious it was to her, it would have to be broken before she could worship Jesus as she wanted to. How many Christian’s attachment to their “box”—their pride, their plans, etc.—prevent them from being broken, even for Jesus’ sake?
Another thing we have in common with this woman is that her box was very strong; it was made of alabaster—one of the strongest materials available in that day. The love of some believers for their ways, and the strength of their wills, prevent them from ever offering Jesus the innermost worship or their hearts. They simply can’t bear the thought of, much less bring themselves to the place of brokenness.
The Contents of the Box
As to the contents of this woman’s box, the preciousness of it is made clear in the Bible. We’re told that it contained ointment of spikenard, “very precious” and “very costly” (Matt. 26:7; Luke 14:3; John 11:3). The fact that there was an intended purpose for the contents of this box is made clear to us too. Simply stated, what was in the box was meant to be poured out on Jesus.
God wants us to worship Him from the depths of our being. Just as the most precious pearls lie deepest in the sea and the highest-grade diamonds and gold are deepest in the earth, there is praise and gratitude, “a high grade” of worship ” from deep within us that God deserves. The Lord deserves more than shallow, surface, superficial worship. The psalmist said, “I will praise thee O Lord with my whole heart” (Ps. 9:1). Is it your intention to “Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name,” and to “worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness” (Ps. 29:2) even though it means your own brokenness?
The Crushing of the Box
For the precious ointment of spikenard could be poured out, something was required; the woman had to see to the breaking her box. Nobody did it for her. She did it herself. Do you have a “box” a “self” that has become hardened by pride or self-will? Do you love your box, the way things are, more than you love Jesus and the way things could be in terms of your worship and relationship with Him.? The Holy Spirit will help you bring about the brokenness that’s needed if you ask him, but other than this, no one can break your box but you.
What resulted when the woman broke her box for Jesus sake? John 12:3 says, “The house was filled with the odour of the ointment.” There was a noticeable change; she was aware of it and everyone around her noticed it too. A new freshness, and sweetness permeated her world. This is what happens when we let our spirits be broken for Jesus’ sake. Revival will take place: “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones” (Isa. 57:15).
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