Message in a Bottle
Today while feeding, I stood appreciating the dirt work that my husband did yesterday. Amazed at the bricks that were unearthed, (will they ever stop coming up??) I spotted something that stood out like a beacon- a green bottle. "Huh." I thought, "I wonder if he left that for me or if he even saw it at all." I'm not sure why I love old bottles so much, but I get excited when I find one that is unique or my husband plows up in our pasture. It's amazing that he can plow a field numerous times and still unearth a bottle without blemish. It's been added to my collection of old bottles: passed down, bought, gifted to me, presented to me with original dirt and contents. I love them all.
As typically happens, a song popped in my head...and I sung it aloud. "Message in a bo-tt-le yeah." So, naturally, a message also came along...
Mark 14:3 NIV says, ...a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume. KJV says it was an alabaster box of ointment.
Luke 7: 37 NIV says, ..."alabaster jar" and again, King James- "alabaster box". Many times I've heard preaching from these text that quoted, "...alabaster jar" so, naturally the bottle made me think of a jar-hence this story.
Why would this old bottle I found relate to these stories? It isn't full of perfume or oil. It may not even be worth five cents, but it is valuable to me. "Value is in the eye of the beholder." Some people see value in cars, jewelry, shoes...To me things that have a memory or special meaning are more valuable than most anything I can think of. I could walk you through my home and have a weeks worth of stories about so many objects in and around it that are of value to me. With this in mind, surely you can relate something that is valuable to you. These women probably didn't have much. This box full of expensive perfume or oil may have been payment for their service, or it could've been something they spent all their wages to acquire. Perhaps it was a gift from someone that was important to them.
Envisage someone that you love, someone that you want to be around all the time. Being near them just isn't enough, you want to soak them into your soul so that you can feel the fullness of them with all your senses. Now, imagine Jesus having a fragrance that you cannot stop inhaling, much like your favorite fall candle or walking into Grandma's house as she's baking. Now picture how it feels to be in His presence, warm and comforting as you brush past his arm; so much so that you just want to lean into Him. You want to lay your head on His chest and hear the beating of His heart, the cadence of His breathing. And, like a baby's cheek, you want to kiss His hands over and over tasting the sweet innocence and letting it wash over you and lift your spirits! I expect these feelings are likened to the ones these women had for Jesus. One poured her heart out weeping. She knew what a sinner she was and was so convicted and overcome, that she was able to wash His feet with her tears. Can you be so repentant for how you've hurt Jesus that you could cry to that extent?
They loved him so much they wanted to give more than themselves to Him. Understanding that He wasn't going to be with them for long, they poured out their hearts to Him and realized that nothing they had mattered more. (Luke 7: 37-50). To me, that would mean giving my heart and all my love. Even my life. Material possessions aren't worthy of Him. All I have is His already, He's given it all to me and I do my best to take care of it, but none of it means anything to Him like my heart and my love.
Those women loved Jesus and publicly did as they were led to do, bringing Him glory in the process. With a selfless gesture they each left a legacy that has been passed down and told about for hundreds of years. Not that they wanted recognition, but because of prophetically giving an instance that can be relational to current time.
St. Mark 14: 9 "Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her."
These women risked everything to show Jesus their love and He showed a big example of His forgiveness. They could've been dragged out, punished, even arrested and maybe they were. Whatever their sins, they had courage and faith enough to know they were forgiven and they unabashedly-unquestionably went to Jesus, acknowledged His importance and understood what He was going to sacrifice for them. They glorified Him the best way they knew how....and He forgave them.
St. Mark 14:6-9 "And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying."
Lastly, Luke 7: 48-50 "And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.....Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace."
We don't have to imagine this part of the story. This statement is there for us too. Because of John 3:16- 1 John 1:9 is true; "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
May you never look at an old bottle the same again...
