THE ALABASTER BOX - REV. DR. JUSTICE ARTHUR

▪️Alabaster boxes in those days contained different types of perfumes. During a party celebration, Mary approached Jesus and washed his feet with an expensive perfume using her hair.▪️The disciple Judas thought it was very absurd to wash Jesus feet with such an expensive perfume. He believed it could be used on the poor.▪️Jesus however rebuked saying Mary had vision of His future- all that He was going to endure and all that He had been to her; besides the poor shall always be with us.▪️Everything Mary did was an outpouring of heart. She had been saved from her sin by Jesus.KEY NOTES1. MARY. That bottle (Alabaster) cost so much as 300 Denarii (approximating an annual salary) . However, she submitted herself to Jesus and honored Him with the best of her possessions. She appreciated how Jesus had turned her life around. Without Jesus, she knows she is worthless.▪️Mary did not count the cost of the perfume cos she knew Jesus was worth far more than that. That was an act of true worship.▪️Judas was rather rational in suggesting that the perfume be sold and proceeds given to charity.▪️It's not always that we have to rationalize our giving. There's a place for rationalization and also a place for giving our all to Jesus. Not everything can be quantified. We need to appreciate Jesus more. It's expensive to be a Christian.▪️God should be the object of our giving. 2 Corinthians 9.▪️Giving is a sign of saying thank you to God. He is the source of our blessing and the One who can change our lives.▪️We are all equal before God irrespective of our social or economic standing.▪️Just as Mary broke a full bottle of perfume, likewise we must break open all that we have before God. We ought to open our hearts for Him to control. The nakedness of heart to give the best of our substance.2. JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA. A "secret" disciple of Jesus, this man requested from Pilate for permission to bury Jesus in a highly specialized hewned tomb.▪️He ensured that Jesus was buried in an expensive tomb which was actually reserved for rich people like Joseph Arimathea himself.▪️He knew that Jesus deserved the best.▪️Let's think about the way we give offerings to Jesus. No room for rationalization in those circumstances.▪️When we give our best to the Lord, it serves as a memorial and also gives an opportunity for others to thank God for our offering.▪️We should be sold out to Jesus. Amen!