an alabaster jar

A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.  ~ Luke 7:37-38



I was sitting in my room brushing my hair when I heard her open the door gently.

"Hey, where were you last night?" she asked.  "I could not find you in all of the usual places.”

“I was around,” I offered, I was still brushing, not looking up at her.

“And when I looked in your room, it was dark and you were sleeping already.  It was early.”

“Yes, I felt asleep early.  Best sleep I’ve had in a long time.”

“So then, you didn’t work last night.”  I finally looked at her.  Her hands on her hips, a worried look passed over her face, and then it was gone into a sneer.  “What on earth has gotten into you lately?”

“Maybe nothing on earth,” I said, mostly to myself.

“No really,” she sat next to me to look me in the eye.  I tried to keep my face blank, the traditional blank stare of women with my profession.  “What is going on?  Ever since you ran into that rabbi,” she said it as if to curse, “what is his name? Jesus? You have been moping around.  Get over it.”

“Yes, it has changed me,” I confessed, looking out of the window, remembering the day. “He was teaching in the crowds, I didn’t mean to stop because it was mid-day. But His voice was so compelling, and what He said was so amazing.”

“Ha! What worthwhile thing could ever come out of the mouth of a rabbi?”

“But it was more than that!  He saw me in the crowd and started moving towards me, looking right at me.”

“See, I told you men are all the same! Even rabbis!” she spit out.

“No, no, He was not like that!  He did not look at me with disgust or lust, as men usually do.  He wanted nothing from me, I could tell that immediately.  It was like He had a gift He was longing to give to me, and wanted nothing from me in return! He came closer and closer and then you would never believe what He did!” I could tell my eyes were growing larger and I could feel the blush creep across my face.

“What did He do?” Unwillingly, she had become caught up in the story.

“He came right up to me and put His hand on my arm, and looked straight into my eyes when He was concluding a part of His teaching.  He said, ‘Love your enemies, do good to them… Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.’”  I turned and looked right at her.  “Do you understand what He meant?”

She looked dumbfounded and shook her head.  “You mean the rabbi touched you? How can that be?  He must have known what you are.”

“Yes, of course He knew exactly what I am, and yet, He touched me!” I looked back out the window again, shaking my head at the wonder of it all.  “He touched me like He didn’t care that He would be defiled by touching me.  He touched me like He could make me clean.  Imagine that.  Me clean.”

She laughed.

“No, but what He said, He said God is kind to the wicked.  Wicked.  That would be me.”

She laughed again.  “Yes, that would be you.  But what does that have to do with last night?”

I sighed.  This was the hard part to explain.  “I want to be that.  Clean.  I want to be clean.”  I pinned my hair on top of my head, wrapping my scarf around me.

She pointed her finger at me.  “You will never be clean.  I know.  I’ve seen.  I’ve lived it too.  We will never be clean.  We will never be anything else than what we are.  There is no turning back from what we are.”

I shook my head.  “I can’t believe that. I won’t believe that.” Looking round, I found it.  I pulled out the alabaster jar of perfume, tool of my trade, and placed it in my bag and stood up.

“Where are you going? It’s too early to start.”

“I am not starting.  I am finished.  I have a dinner party to go to.” I walked to the door and looked back at her.  “If you had been there, if you had seen Him, if He had touched you, then you would understand.”  She sat there and shook her head as I walked out the door into the early evening twilight.

Hours later, I returned.  My eyes were still red from my tears.  My alabaster jar was empty, poured out.  My hair was pinned up again, but not nearly as neatly as when I left.  But I was smiling. I could not stop smiling. I saw her as I was coming in. She was applying the last touches of make up on her face, getting ready for the night.

She looked up at me.  “I heard,” she said.  “You have really lost your mind. Simon the Pharisee’s house?  I can’t believe they did not beat you.” She put down her make up and followed me into my room.  “Why?  Why did you do it?”

“I had to thank Him.”  I found a bag and picked through my clothes.  “You know what He said to me?”  I looked at her.  “He said, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’” I put some of the more modest items in the bag and made a pile of the others.

“He said what?”

“He said, ‘Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.’” I pulled out my jewelry and make up and put it on top of the pile.  “He said that.  To me.”

She shook her head.  “Don’t be ridiculous.  Men don’t forgive us.  They use us, they pay us, and sometimes they beat us. In the streets, they ignore us. They never forgive us.”

“This was no ordinary man.  They say, and I believe, He is Messiah.”

“Messiah would never forgive you!  He would condemn you!”

“That was what I thought.  But I was wrong.  Look, I am leaving.  His party has other women in it. I am going to join it, if they will have me. Here, take my things.”  I gestured to the pile of fancy clothing, jewels and make up that I was leaving behind.

She saw I was serious.  “No, these are all your best!”

“No, take them, I have no need for them now.” I turned and took both her arms and held them tight. “Better, leave them and come with me!  He forgave me, He will forgive you too!  Come, and we can both be clean!”

For a moment she looked at me and there was a glimmer in her eyes, hope beyond hope, but then it clouded over and she shook me off.  “You are crazy. Crazy!” Her voice rose. I took my bag and walked towards the door as it reached a shrill pitch.  “He will not keep you! The others will not allow you to come with them!  You are dirty, defiled, you will never be clean! You will be penniless! You will starve! No one will give you anything! You are crazy!”

I looked at her from the doorway.  “Maybe.  Maybe not.  But no matter what happens, I am clean now, and I cannot, I will not go back.  I trust Him.  In life or in death.  I trust Him.” 

I heard her screaming as I walked away.  But I kept repeating His words. My faith had saved me.  And I went.  In peace.

Prepare the Lamb

This story takes place between John 11 and 12.

Martha and Mary are in the kitchen. Martha is at the counter chopping vegetables and humming a song. Mary is sitting on a stool, looking sad and worried. During their conversation, Martha continues working. Mary continues to sit.

Martha leaves the counter and leans out the back door, shouting, "What did you say? Yes, the best lamb, the fattest lamb. Yes, that one! Trim it and roast it. Yes, it is a big celebration and many are joining us. Yes, yes, and please hurry. They will be here soon!"

She looks over at Mary. "Mary, dear, why do you look so sad and depressed? We have so much to celebrate. Remember? Our brother Lazarus is alive and Jesus and all his followers will be here shortly for the meal. Why are you sitting there moping?"

Mary looks up. "Martha, don’t you understand what is going to happen soon? Didn’t you hear what Jesus said?"

Martha stops for a moment and looks into space. "Yes, I remember. He said something like, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies.'" (1)

Martha sighs and continues, "I thought he meant at the Last Day.
I never imagined that he would, that he could, raise Lazarus once he was dead."

Mary shakes her head. "No, Martha. I meant the time when he said, 'I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.' (2) Or even before that, when we were with him when he fed the crowds and then later he told us, 'I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.' (3) Did you hear him then?

Martha replies, "Oh, Mary, what does that mean anyway? What are you talking about? You know, sometimes Jesus does not speak directly, but talks in parables. That was probably one of those times."

Mary replies, "No, Martha. He is going to die. That is what he is talking about. Haven’t you looked at his face? He looks so tired, and there is a heaviness about him that seems to penetrate to his soul. Like he is carrying the weight of the whole world on his shoulders."

Martha says, "Don’t be silly, girl. He is going to rescue us! He is the Messiah! He raised Lazarus from the dead! You were there! You saw. No, no, he must have meant something else."

Mary shakes her head. "No, Martha. That was exactly what he meant. I don’t really understand either, but the Pharisees are out to kill him, you know. You heard what Lazarus and his friends said last night! And after tonight, Jesus is going to Jerusalem. Almost like a Passover lamb."

Martha pauses, then shakes her head and laughs. "You have such an imagination girl! Passover lamb! What a thought! Look, we will die soon enough, but dear, tonight we celebrate! Can’t you think of something to do?"

Martha looks around the room and takes notice of the broom. She grabs it and gives it to Mary. "Here, why don’t you sweep the floor? Get your mind off things and it would sure help me!"

Mary takes the broom and sweeps, looking like her mind is miles away. She talks to herself, "Something to do…something to do...Yes, I must do something but what can I do?"

Mary brightens and turns to Martha, "Martha, do you remember the special gift that father left to me? It was a priceless perfume, a bottle of pure nard? Where is it?"

Martha looks up, quizzical. "The nard? What makes you think of that now? My, that nard is worth a year’s salary! It’s the in bedroom with the rest of our family valuables."

Mary looks up, stops sweeping, thinking.

Then there is a shout from outside: "The guests have arrived. The lamb is ready!"

Martha, turns and goes to the outside door. She goes out for a moment and returns with a platter. She looks behind to Mary as she walks past her to the family room, where the guests will be entering.

"Come on, Mary. We are ready now," Martha implores. "Please hurry and try to remember, this is a celebration! Smile!"

Martha goes out. From the other room, you can hear the sounds of people.

Mary looks and makes sure Martha is out of sight, then puts the broom down. She goes to the bedrooms and returns with the extensive-looking bottle of nard. She carefully turns it around and looks at it, holding it carefully to herself. She walks back to the front of the kitchen and says...

"Look, even the bottle is so beautiful! And when I break it open, the room will be filled with it’s fragrance! I know Martha won’t understand. I don’t think any of them will understand. But Jesus will. I have to give him this! It is my most dearest possession, I know, but even this will not be enough to show how much I love him. Before he leaves us, I need him to know, that he means everything to me."

She takes the bottle and goes out to meet the guests.

From the other room you can hear Martha say, "Oh hi Mary! It’s about time! Why don’t you come and help me? Where are you going? What are you doing?"

There is a sound of the bottle breaking.

"Mary!" Martha exclaims, "Was that the nard?"

And angry voice says, "Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages." (4)

And then a different gentle voice, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told..." (5)

______________________
(1) John 11:25
(2) John 10:11
(3) John 6:51
(4) John 12:5
(5) Matthew 26:10-13

The Parting

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. (John 1:1-2)

Father	Son?
Son	Yes, Dad.
Father	It’s time, Son.
Son	I’m ready. I’m willing. I’ve always been willing.
Father	Yes, I know. It was your idea from the first.
Son	We all agreed it was the only way. I want it this way. From the beginning we knew that if we gave them the choice, they would go their own way. But we wanted them to choose us freely.
Father	You are right. It is not love if they do not choose us.
Son	Yes, and we want them to experience the joy of true love. And since all of them have chosen to go their own way, the only way to save them once and for all is for me to go to them. I love them too much to lose them forever.
Father	Me too. But even after your work is done, some of them, indeed most of them, still will not choose you.
Son	Even still for those few who come to me, Dad, I am willing. Just for them, I do this. It is difficult for me to leave you and all this.
Father	Son, we will talk. Whenever you want, I’m here for you. We won’t really be apart until the end.
Son	That will be the hardest part. But it will be worth it. I love them so much, Dad. We can’t not do this.
Father	Even you are free to choose, Son. You can choose to not do this.
Son	Yes, I know. I will do this. I’m ready to go now. Just one last thing, Dad -- Hold me.
Father	Don’t worry, Son, I will not let you go.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)