Devotional Thought – The Purpose Of Pricely Possessions

07 Mar Devotional Thought – The Purpose Of Pricely Possessions

“…Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head.” Mark 14:3

A simple box – a flask actually – was broken and poured out.  That’s what Mark is  describing for us in this particular passage.  I have always wondered not only why Mark tells us that she broke  it, but why in fact she did break it.  I understand why she would pour out all of that precious ointment on the head of Jesus – a heart devoted to Him would have held nothing back from Him. But why would she destroy the costly container? Surely she could have kept such a beautiful box and used it for herself?  No, she couldn’t have kept it.  After Jesus had been anointed with the contents she had no use for the container.  You see, love doesn’t consider something a treasure that can’t be spent on its object.

This woman crushed the costly thing, not because she didn’t care about its cost, but because the purpose for which it had been purchased was accomplished.  It had be bought for sole intent of anointing Jesus.  As long as Jesus had not been anointed she worked feverishly, sacrificed personally and strove  continually to gain it.  No doubt some considered her too frugal or miserly as she saved her money to buy it. Some might have even considered her greedy for gold, but the only gold she desired was that which glittered in the light of her Lord.  He was the reason she saved and scrimped and when the anointing was completed the gold lost its glitter.  Her wealth no longer had an object to focus upon.  That’s why she gave up her scrimping and saving because she no longer had any interest in the alabaster box when its purpose was accomplished. That is why she broke the box.

“Lord, help me to seek to gather the gold of this world – a world that You love and died for – only to give it to You.  Help me to hold on to the alabaster box until every hurting heart is healed and every humble head is anointed. Let me remember that these are your hands and your feet.  Let me remember that even when I give to the lest of these I am giving unto you.  And once the ointment is fully poured  out, help me to crush the container realizing that I have given my all to You.”  Amen.