Alabaster

A little alabaster jar brought back from Egypt!

As we get closer to Christmas, I get all swept up in preparations - wrapping all of the presents, crafting the perfect menu and going grocery shopping with my mom, making sure the tree is all decorated. When it comes to thinking about Jesus, I can get all swept up in certain things too - the joy of Christ's love for us, the fulfillment of God's promise to the Israelites, the glorious hope of salvation. These are such important things to be reminded of and to focus on: after all, what is Christmas really about if not to remind us of the love we had at first?

One thing that I think I am not the best at focusing on during Christmas time is Christ's humility and sacrifice. In my head, I think "Sure, it's immensely humble that Jesus went from God form into being a helpless human baby," but I can get all swept up in the joy so pervasive in this season that I can minimize the cost of Christ at Christmas (say that 3 times fast!).

That's where I think another Mary has a lot to teach us. The story of the alabaster jar is one of my favorites, and I love how it illustrates both rejoicing in the Lord's current presence and keeping in mind the seriousness of his sacrifice:


Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.” But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”

~Matthew 26:6-13 ESV

My two favorite things from this passage:

-Mary celebrates Christ by surrendering her most beautiful and prized possession to Him. It's a type of joy and celebration that leads to action, which is definitely a challenge for me to remember during the Christmas season.

-Mary is mindful of the sacrifice of Christ. Jesus says specifically that Mary has in mind His burial and the sacrifice that He is about to make. Such an forward thinking view motivates her to act on her joy and love for Christ.

My prayer for us today is that we can both see the joy and sacrifice mingled together in the Christmas story!