“..there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.” (Mark 14:3)
Yesterday, we saw that true worship, like from the woman in our text, doesn’t happen only when external circumstances are just right. The only thing true worship depends on is our heart being right with God. If your heart is right with God, you can worship Him anywhere at any time!
We saw the first two characteristics of true worship that came from a little Alabaster box.
FIRST—TALKING Wasn’t Enough; She Had to GIVE.
SECOND—CHEAP Wasn’t Enough; She Gave Something COSTLY.
THIRD—PART of it Wasn’t Enough; She Gave it ALL.
The Bible says that when this woman broke open her Alabaster box of precious ointment, she “poured it on his head.” She didn’t keep anything for herself; she gave it all to Jesus! That is a result of true, heartfelt worship. Too many Christians come to church to supposedly worship, yet they hold back on God. They live their Christian lives afraid to give it all to Jesus. They are afraid to let go and truly worship because of what someone else might say. This woman didn’t really care what the others would say. Her focus wasn’t on THEM, it was on JESUS!
FOURTH—UNBROKEN Wasn’t Enough; It Had to be OUTPOURED.
The special fragrance from this little box would never have been experienced by Jesus, and the rest of the house, unless the box had been broken. Often, people think that because they aren’t the “perfect little Christian” the cannot truly worship God. They think that since they have a tainted past and a broken life that somehow God doesn’t want or deserve their worship.
Listen, my friend, it is just the opposite! It was BECAUSE this box was broken that Jesus was able to receive her worship. It is BECAUSE of your broken past that you have every right, and may I say responsibility, to worship God! He deserves your worship even more because of the past hurt and failures He has brought you from.
Jesus is not looking for perfect people; He is looking for broken people who have given their brokenness to Him. THAT is the fragrance that blesses the Lord!