An Alabaster Heart

The shelves glistened with mirrored jewellery boxes and heavy candle holders. I browsed through the piles of ornaments and heavy clay pots, all in search of something resembling the alabaster jar. For weeks Father had been whispering to me about the alabastar jar, specifically Miryam from Bethany's love jar. 

The gospel writers make mention of two different alabaster accounts. In Luke 7, a "sinful" woman anoints Yeshua's feet while He is dining in the home of Simon the Pharisee. John 12 however mentions Miryam/Mary's alabaster offering, where she anoints our Messiah for His death. The one that drew me in, is Mary's offering and with her elaborate gift of adoration I went searching for something that resembled a first century jar.

I'm a pretty visual person, often combining something I can touch with something I can see and describe with words. At the time, I was invited to a women's ministry event and asked to be the speaker. As I wondered through those shelves I wanted to find Miryma's jar. Something I could hold up and show those ladies, a visual representation of a deeply intimate gift but I found nothing. Nothing, tugged at me, nothing caused the spirit within me to jump. So I returned home to a cup of hot tea and a snug chat with Father. As clear as anything His words swept over me with a bold declaration of resonating truth. "Child, your alabaster jar is your heart. It is filled with costly anointment and nard, years of walking, years of intense pushing through. Years of trial, years of cost but that is precisely the Love gift that you pour out on My Feet."

I smiled deeply at the truth, the truth that our hearts are our alabaster jars. The ones we pour out on the feet of our King. The walk we have had to walk has not been easy. We face things no one knows about, we suffer through things we dont talk about but everything, every sacrifice, every prayer and every heartbeat of Love is stored up in our alabastar jar. We should pour it out over our King, in surrender and abandonment. Miryam/Mary's offering was not repentance for sin, but worship in adoration. She faced the ridicule and the hatred of many but she did not care, she knew the One she Loved, He was her Messiah and she gave it all for Him.. and what a precious gift to give!

Sharing with Holley Gerth
Coffee with Winter