Alabaster

I was pondering this today, reading again a chapter of scripture which contained the very famous account of the woman anointing our Lord with the expensive oil. Jesus explains that she had “anointed him for burial and had done right.” I wonder, have you ever thought about that perfumed oil and what it might have meant to Jesus? We have all heard the sermons about being a poured out offering to the Lord, and perhaps even about being forgiven much, or being a Pharisee. I wonder have you considered that Jesus appreciated it more than we can know? Not long after this event he is beaten, tortured and carries a brutal cross to Golgotha. Prior to this however is Gethsemane, sweat, blood and water. I am not trying to over spiritualize or read anything more into it, however it was during my read that it occurred to me a couple of things, based on the account in Mathew particularly, it says the woman anointed his head. I believe Luke’s account and Matthews are correct but the focus is different. I think perhaps as she anointed our Lord the passion in her and the Holy Spirit would have caused the tears to flow without ceasing as her heart broke. She may not have understood the trial Jesus was about to face but the

Psalm 56:8b King James Version (KJV)

Put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?

To think her deed is written for all time in God’s word, but every tear she cried was kept a record of. Nothing is wasted. Firstly the oil would have been rich pungent oil, possibly frankincense, myrrh and perhaps as in the Old Testament, there is very special oil and incense made only to the Lord. I wondered if this strong perfume when heated would emit fragrance as rich perfume does when warmed by our skin. I thought about Our Lord in the garden praying, and as he sweat tears and blood. Would perhaps the perfume every now and again touch his nostrils and remind him of the love of the woman, and why he is here, and would this encourage and strengthen his resolve?