What is an alabaster box?

A valuable calcareous spar, a hydro-sulphate of lime, used by the ancients for making vessels to hold valuable ointments. It is probable that 'breaking' ' the box means breaking the seal, to open the box. Matt. 26:7; Mark 14:3; Luke 7:37.

It was an alabaster flask she brought full of ointment of spikenard, very costly. These flasks contained about a pound of this costly ointment; the probable value was 300 denarii, or about $50. It was a very large sum of money in that time, when we remember that a day laborer received only one dinar wages a day. Three hundred denarii was at that time as much as three hundred dollars to-day. How did she obtain so costly an alabaster flask with spikenard? Most likely it had been stored away from bye-gone days. It must have been the most costly she possessed. A heart filled with love and devotion prompted her to bring this costly ointment and pour it over the body of her Lord. To honor Him was her sole object, and that at a time when He was about to be rejected and forsaken by all. And let us not forget that she had learned this devotion and love to Him, manifested in the outpouring of the precious ointment, at His feet. Her heart occupation with the Lord, her anticipation in faith of what was before Him, led her on to do what she did. She had no eyes for what was around her, nor had she ears for the criticism of those who watched her deed. He and He alone was her object.

Mary. — Martha serving, Lazarus feasting, what was Mary about? Her history, as previously recorded (Luke 10:39), would lead to the supposition that she was not unconcerned with the Lord in their midst. Her love to Christ, and her gratitude for what He had done to her brother, were no less fervid than those of her sister, and of her brother. If Martha would show her gratitude in serving, Mary would show hers in anointing the Lord. And to John are we indebted for our knowledge that it was Mary. He alone mentions the name of the woman. Matthew and Mark tell us that it was a woman. All three are agreed that the ointment was very precious, Mark and John tell us it was spikenard, and John has preserved from oblivion that it was a pound in weight. The Holy Spirit delights, we may say, in recording service done to Christ.

A pound of ointment! Twelve ounces of spikenard, very costly! On whom before had so much been bestowed? But nothing was too costly for her to expend on Him. Mary's estimate of Christ remained unchanged and unchangeable. She had sat at His feet, and had drunk in His words (Luke 10). She had rejoiced with Martha in the restoration to them of their brother Lazarus from the tomb (John 11). Now she testified by her act before all what Christ was to her. Sitting formerly at His feet, she now anointed them, — so John writes; whilst Matthew and Mark relate that she poured the ointment on His head. And John only tells us of her wiping His feet with her hair. A woman's natural ornament and covering was honoured by being put to such a use.

Doubtless, without taking counsel with any one, she made use of her ointment — breaking, too, the alabaster box, or cruse, in which it was (Mark 14:3). No one else should ever be anointed out of that box. It was broken. That ointment she destined for Him, and for Him alone. No word, that we read of, as she anointed Him, escaped her lips. Her act, however, spoke louder than words. Of the best that she had He was worthy, and no one else should ever share in it. But her act could not escape notice; for "the house," writes the Evangelist, "was filled with the odour of the ointment" (John 12:3). Every one present must have perceived its fragrance. And surely its sweetness ascended heavenward, "an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God" (Phil. 4:18), being the homage of a grateful heart rendered to His beloved Son.

Earthenware, or glass, flask or bottle for oil or perfumes. 2 Kings 9:1, 3. See ALABASTER.

Except in Ex. 30:25 (where the Hebrew words are mishchah and roqach, and may be translated "an oil of holy ointment, a perfume"), and in 1 Chr. 9:30; Job 41:31 (where the words are derived from roqach), the Hebrew word is shemen, which is constantly translated 'oil.' It is used for 'fatness, oil, spiced oil,' and hence 'ointment,' with which on joyful occasions the head was anointed, Ps. 133:2, and is elsewhere called the 'oil of gladness.' Ps. 45:7: cf. Prov. 27:9, 16; Ecc. 7:1; Ecc. 9:8; Amos 6:6. As an emollient it was applied to wounds or bruises. Isa. 1:6. In the N.T. the word is μύρον, 'oil mingled with fragrant spices:' with such Mary anointed the Lord, and its perfume filled the house, John 12:3, 5; it was also used by a woman 'which was a sinner.' Luke 7:37-38. The ointment would be more or less costly according to the ingredients.

But let us turn aside to the company of our Lord for a little while at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper. There was poured out the worship of a heart that loved Him, if ever there was one. She waited not for the promise of the Father; but He who was soon after given to overflowing, even then wrought in the instincts of her new nature. "There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head as he sat at meat." This, John lets us know, she had kept; it was no new thing got up for the occasion; it was her best, and spent on Jesus. How little it was in her eyes, how precious in His, spent on one whom she loved, for whom she felt the impending danger; for love is quick to feel, and feels more truly than man's most sharpened prudence. So it was, then, that this woman pours her ointment on His head. John mentions His feet. Certainly it was poured upon both. But as Matthew has the King before him, and it was usual to pour on, not the feet of a king, but his head, he naturally records that part of the action which was suitable to the Messiah. John, on the contrary, whose point is that Jesus was infinitely more than a king, while lowly enough in love for anything — John most appropriately tells us that Mary poured it on His feet. It is interesting, too, to observe, that love, and a profound sense of the glory of Jesus, led her to do that which a sinner's heart, thoroughly broken down in the presence of His grace, prompted her to do. For Luke mentions another person. In this case it was "a woman in the city, who was a sinner," a totally different person, at another and earlier time, and in the house of another Simon, a Pharisee. She too anointed the feet of Jesus with an alabaster box of ointment; but she stood at His feet behind, weeping, and began to wash His feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head, and kissed His feet. There are thus many added circumstances in harmony with the case. All I would point out now is, the kindred feeling to which is led a poor sinner that tasted His grace in presence of her proved unworthiness, and a loving worshipper, filled with the glory of His person, and sensitive to the malice of His foes. However that may be, the Lord vindicates her in the face of murmuring disaffected disciples. It is a solemn lesson; for it shows how one corrupt mind may defile others, incomparably better than its own. The whole college of the apostles, the twelve, were tainted for the moment by the poison insinuated by one. What hearts are ours at such a season, in the face of such love! But so it was, alas! — is. One evil eye may too soon communicate its foul impression, and thereby many be defiled. It was Judas at bottom; but there was also that in the rest which made them susceptible of similar selfishness at the expense of Jesus, although there was not in them the same allowance of diabolical influence which had suggested thoughts to Judas. The example is surely not without serious admonition to ourselves. How often care for doctrine cloaks Satan, as here care for the poor! Morally, too, this connects itself with Christ's sufferings that should follow. The devotedness of the woman is used of Satan to push Judas into his last wickedness, so much the more determined by the outflow of what his heart could not in the smallest degree appreciate. Thence he goes to sell Jesus. If he could not manage to get the box of precious ointment, or its worth, he would, while he could, secure his little profit on the sale of Jesus to His enemies. "What will ye give me," says he to the chief priests, "and I will deliver him unto you?" Accordingly the covenant takes place — a covenant with death, and an agreement with hell. "They covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver" — man's, Israel's, worthy price for Jesus!

"But Jesus being in Bethany, in Simon, the leper's house, a woman having an alabaster flask of very precious ointment, came to Him and poured it out upon His head as he lay at table. But the disciples seeing it became indignant, saying, To what end was this waste? for this might have been sold for much and been given to the poor. But Jesus knowing it said to them, Why do ye trouble the woman? for she has wrought a good work toward me. For ye have the poor always with you, but me ye have not always. For in pouring out this ointment on my body, she has done it for my burial. Verily I say to you, Wheresoever these glad tidings may be preached in the whole world, that also which this woman has done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her" (verses 6-13).

This supper took place in the house of Simon the leper (who had likely been healed by the Lord Jesus), though we know Lazarus and Martha were there as well as Mary, who brought the expensive box of ointment, breaking the box and pouring the ointment on His head. John speaks of her anointing His feet with it. No doubt she did both, but Mark writes of what is becoming to His servant character, and John shows the side of her worshipping at the feet of the Son of God. There too we read of her wiping His feet with her hair. This was not giving to the Lord's work, but to the Lord Himself.

(Vv. 3-9). With this brief reference to the leaders we pass to the beautiful scene in the home at Bethany. As the Lord sat at meat, in the house of Simon the leper, a woman, who we know from other accounts was Mary the sister of Martha, brought an alabaster flask of very precious ointment of spikenard and poured the contents on the Lord's head. Mary thus expresses her appreciation of Christ, her affection for Christ, and her spiritual insight. At the moment her intelligence appears to have exceeded that of the other disciples. Won by grace and attracted by love, she had, in other days, sat at His feet to hear His word. As one has said, "The grace and love of Jesus had produced love for Him, and His word had produced spiritual intelligence."

If it has, it will stand approved, and be rewarded; if not, it will be rejected and burnt up. It does not matter in the least what men's thoughts may be about any particular piece of work. They may laud a person to the skies, for something he is doing; they may parade his name in the public journals of the day; they may make him the subject of discourse in their drawing room circle; he may have a great name as a preacher, a teacher, a writer, a moral reformer; but, if he cannot connect his work with the name of Jesus - if it is not done to Him and to His glory - if it is not the fruit of the constraining love of Christ, it will all be blown away like the chaff of the summer threshing floor, and sunk into eternal oblivion. On the contrary, a man may pursue a quiet, humble, lowly path of service, unknown and unnoticed. His name may never be heard, his work may never be thought of; but what has been done, has been done in simple love to Christ. He has wrought, in obscurity, with his eye on his Master. The smile of his Lord has been quite enough for him. He has never thought, for one moment, of seeking man's approval; he has never sought to catch his smile or shun his frown; he has pursued the even tenor of his way, simply looking to Christ, and acting for Him. His work will stand. It will be remembered and rewarded, though he did not do it for remembrance or reward, but from simple love to Jesus. It is work of the right stamp - genuine coin which will abide the fire of the day of the Lord. It is an unspeakable mercy to be delivered from the time-serving, men-pleasing spirit of the present day; and to be enabled to walk, ever and only before the Lord - to have "all our works begun, continued, and ended in Him." Let us look, for a few moments, at the lovely and most touching illustration of this, presented to us in "the house of Simon the leper, there came unto Him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on His head, as He sat at meat." Now, if we inquire as to this woman's object, as she bent her steps to Simon's house, what was it? Was it to display the exquisite perfume of her ointment, or the material and form of her alabaster box? Was it to obtain the praise of men for her act? Was it to get a name for extraordinary devotedness to Christ, in the midst of a little knot of personal friends of the Savior? No, reader, it was none of these things. How do we know? Because, the Most High God, the Creator of all things, who knows the deepest secrets of all hearts, and the true motive spring of every action - He was there in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. His holy and all-penetrating eye went right down into the very depths of this woman's soul. He knew, not only what she had done, but, how and why she had done it; and He declared, "She hath wrought a good work upon me." In a word, then, Christ Himself was the immediate object of this woman's soul; and it was this which gave value to her act, and sent the odor of her ointment straight up to the throne of God. He not only vindicated her at the moment, but handed it down into the future. This was quite enough for the heart of this woman. Having the approval of her Lord, she could well afford to bear the "indignation" even of "the disciples," and to hear her act pronounced "waste." It was sufficient for her that His heart had been refreshed. All the rest might go for what it was worth. She had never thought of securing man's praise, or of avoiding his scorn. Her one undivided object, from first to last, was Christ. From the moment she laid her hand upon that alabaster box, until she broke it, and poured its contents upon His sacred Person, it was of Himself alone she thought. She had a kind of intuitive perception of what would be suitable and grateful to her Lord, in the solemn circumstances in which He was placed at the moment, and, with exquisite tact, she did that thing. She had never thought of what the ointment might fetch; or, if she had, she felt that He was worth ten thousand times as much. As to "the poor," they had their place, no doubt, and their claims also; but she felt that Jesus was more to her than all the poor in the world. In short, the woman's heart was filled with Christ, and it was this that gave character to her action. Others might pronounce it "waste;" but we may rest assured that nothing is wasted which is spent for Christ. So the woman judged: and she was right. To put honor upon Him, at the very moment when earth and hell were rising up against Him, was the very highest act of service that man or angel could perform. He was going to be offered up. The shadows were lengthening, the gloom was deepening, the darkness thickening. The cross-- with all its horrors - was at hand; and this woman anticipated it all, and came, beforehand, to anoint the body of her adorable Lord. And mark the result.