One evening, Simon hosted a dinner at his house in Bethany to honor Jesus and to celebrate Lazarus’s restored life. As Jesus sat at the table, Mary (of Bethany) expressed deep love for her Lord by breaking her alabaster jar and anointing His head with the oil it contained (Matt. 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9)

Mary’s extravagant act had huge significance. The estimated value of the perfumed oil was the equivalent of a person’s full-time salary for one year. It was her dowry – her hope of a good marriage, future financial security, and a good reputation.

Although Judas ridiculed Mary for wasting the perfumed oil that could have been sold and the money given to the poor, Jesus gladly received her extreme act of worship. Perhaps Mary was the only disciple who understood Jesus was going to die soon (see Matt. 26:2). For Jesus told the dinner guests that Mary poured the fragrant oil on His body for His burial (v.12). Then He said “Wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her” (v.13).

Using the analogy of an alabaster jar, Anne Graham Lotz paints a poignant picture of our heavenly Father’s extravagant love for us. Here is a condensed version:

The most precious possession of God the Father was His beloved Son, Jesus. Yet He loved the people in the world so much that He placed His alabaster jar on a small manger bed of hay in Bethlehem. Then thirty-three years later, on a hill called Calvary (cold, and barren, and swarming with an angry mob), the Father picked up His precious alabaster jar and smashed it on a rugged, wooden cross. As the contents of flesh and blood were poured out and the fragrance of His love permeated human history forever, our tears were on His face.

The son of God demonstrated His elaborate love for us as well. Our Divine sympathizer, willingly and humbly, came to earth as the priceless alabaster jar – broken and poured out for you and me, to set us free.

Thank you, Abba Father, for sacrificing Your beloved Son to redeem me. And thank you, Lord Jesus, for sacrificially dying in my place so I could live. In response to such profound love, I re-surrender my heart and life to you today. Even though others won’t understand, I am willing to surrender my own alabaster jar – my most precious possession – as an extreme act of worship.

God is [pure agape] love… We love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:16, 19)