She Broke the Flask!
The sermon for church yesterday was a focus on two New Testament individuals: Mary (the sister of Martha and Lazarus) and Peter. The purpose of using these two individuals was to show how two people equally devoted to Jesus and His ministry displayed different attitudes and actions. The common denominator for both situations was the environment. Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with precious oil in spite of the disapproval of the disciples present while Peter fell in with the crowd to deny and even cursed Jesus the night He was betrayed. The sermon was great and the pastor (a.k.a. my husband) delivered a great message. But as we drove home from church, I asked him if he knew the real significance of the alabaster flask that Mary broke. Just like the disciples, my husband responded with how costly the oil was and that once the alabaster container (i.e., box, jar, flask, vial, vase) was broken, it was no longer useful.
“And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. There were some who said to themselves indignantly, ‘Why was the ointment wasted like that? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.’ And they scolded her.”
As I filled my husband in on the true gift given by Mary, I thought to myself that this would make a wonderful devotion for today’s Monday Morning Memo, so…. here we are. You may very well know the cultural significance of the alabaster box and its contents, or you may not be aware that what Mary really anointed Jesus with went far deeper than some expensive oil.
In Jewish cultural tradition, when the young girl was ready for marriage, her family would purchase an alabaster box and fill it full of expensive ointments and oils. How big the box was and how much it weighed was a symbol of how big the dowry would be for the marriage of the daughter. When a man came and asked for the girl's hand in marriage, she would then take out the alabaster box and break it at his feet, anointing them with the oil, a sign of her honoring his request. It was similar to the act of submission performed by Ruth at the instruction of Naomi to Boaz at the threshing floor.
Mary giving her very own dowery was a statement of complete love, devotion and submission. The disciples rebuked her for wasting a material possession that held great monetary value, but what they didn’t realize was that she was she was really breaking and pouring out. Us 21st Century women tend to struggle understanding - and especially accepting - the fact that First Century women completely depended on their husbands for survival. Women didn’t have jobs or careers to support themselves and their children like we do today, and not being married could easily mean homelessness, starvation, and rejection. Without the dowry, Mary may have very well jeopardized her future wellbeing and survival. That is how much she believed in and trusted Jesus. The value of that alabaster flask and ointment was far more precious than any amount of denarii. Fortunately, Jesus recognized the true gift from Mary. So much so that her story would be retold throughout the whole world in her memory.
“But Jesus said, ‘Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.’ ”
The disciples of Jesus were filled with indignation because the woman obviously wasted the ointment. But from a heavenly perspective, the great cloud of witnesses rejoiced as they beheld the woman giving such honor to Jesus. The broken alabaster box publicly evidenced the woman’s reckless abandonment to Jesus. Is there such evidence in your daily life?
Is your relationship with Jesus one of sacrifice or convenience? Have you broken your “alabaster flask” at the feet of Jesus? Are you afraid to break your flask at His feet? Why?
Sources:
Kendall, Jackie, Debbie Jones. (2012). Lady in Waiting: Becoming God's Best While Waiting for Mr. Right. Destiny Image. Kindle Edition.
Oliver, Kim. (2017). “Twelve Secrets of the Alabaster Box.” Retrieved on March 15, 2026 from https://sermoncentral.com/.
