Alabaster Flask

I recently read from the passage in Luke 7:36-50 where the woman who was a “sinner” washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. She then anointed His feet with expensive perfume. For the first time in the many times I have read or heard the passage, The Lord helped me to connect with this story and I am astounded and excited!

See firstly, Jesus had been invited by a Pharisee to eat at his house. According to Jewish custom and religion, a guest is offered water to clean his hands and feet when he enters his house. This custom back then was very necessary as roads were unpaved, dusty, muddy and probably strewn with cattle refuse.

Showing his total lack of respect and blatant disregard for Jesus, this pharisee who had invited Jesus did not offer him any water to wash His hands or feet, nor showed him any sort of honour. Simon, the Pharisee who had invited Jesus to eat with him at his house was probably seeking to trap Jesus into saying something that He could be accused of as was what most Pharisees of the day were trying to do. Simon may have just wanted “the dirt” on Jesus, so to speak to further his own unbelief that Jesus was not the Messiah. Whatever Simon’s reasons were for inviting Jesus, it seems as if it was not from a place of love and faith in Jesus. We see that in the preceding verses to this story, Jesus was talking about how He had been accused of being a “glutton” and “friend to sinners”!

It was in this setting that Jesus was honoured not only by His own constant Love, Grace, Hope and dignity, but also by a woman who was known to the pharisee and those in “good” Jewish society as a sinner! Unashamed and unafraid, she boldly entered the house of the pharisee! Today, I want to tell her story because her story is probably the story for many! In this particular gospel version of the story, Luke does not speak her name. For the purpose of this story, we will call her “Sheila”. Even though I have taken some poetic licence with this story, I believe I am capturing the essence of the story and a very important message of God’s abounding LOVE and GRACE!

 
A Day To Remember

Simon the Pharisee had a large imposing home. It had been built by the best builders that Israel had and demonstrated the importance of Simon’s office as a Pharisee and his piousness. Simon’s home had been built to be displayed. It stood high and tall next to the major road entering the city and everyone coming or going out of this city could hardly avoid seeing it in all it’s glory! When Sheila had to take this road, she was used to hearing the occupants of this household scoff and jeer at her, reminding her of her mistakes and her sins. To Sheila, Simon’s imposing home was an unwelcoming sight and the attitude of its occupants served as a constant reminder of her shame. “I would never be welcomed at Simon’s house”, Sheila had thought from time to time. “I will never be worthy”. “My sins are too many”!


Sheila had tried to repent and had mended her ways however she was always reminded by others of the mistakes of her past and had been ostracised by past friends and even family. Nowadays, Sheila avoided everyone and went further and further to find work but the loneliness and the pain seemed to have her captive. She longed for a gentle word. A kind gesture. Sheila needed a friend.

One late afternoon as Sheila returned from a day’s hire from a farm outside the city, she noticed a crowd of people gathered outside Simon’s house and there seemed to be a lot of activity going on inside! “What’s going on?” she thought! Weaving a little closer through the crowd, encountering harsh stares and turned faces as she was shunned again and again, the words she heard spoken over and over was, “Jesus of Nazareth is here"! "Jesus of Nazareth is here”! Could it be!? The one she had heard about who was full of love, grace and forgiveness was here in the Pharisee’s house!? Suddenly, the crowd did not seem so harsh and the pharisee’s home did not seem so unfriendly. Sheila felt something warm rise up in her stomach that she could hardly recognise. Hope!

Turning around, Sheila ran the last mile to the humble shelter that was now her home! She burst through the door and darted towards the corner of the room! She flung aside the old mat which she slept on and dug frantically in the dirt with her hands. The dirt was dry and harsh on Sheila's hands but she hardly noticed. The tip of her fingers touched the top of a wooden cork. Digging gently around it, she slowly unearthed her treasure! The alabaster flask was filled with expensive perfume.

Sheila had saved it from the proceeds of a previous life. This was the only thing of value she possessed and reminded her that at some point in her life, she was sought after and valuable! It was all she had! Sheila planned to one day sell it when she could no longer get odd jobs out of the city and was too old to work anymore. She could not get any work in this city. No one would hire her. Heaving, she pulled the alabaster jar out of the dirt and dusted it with the long cloth around her neck. Lifting the cloth that lay on the mat, she covered her head and wrapped the flask with it's edge while hurrying out the door.

As she reached to quickly shut the door after her, Sheila caught a glimpse of her dusty, cut hands. She hurriedly went back into her room and put the flask down on her overturned mat! Going to the corner where she kept a large clay bowl and water jug filled with water, she poured the water from the vase into the clay bowl. Sheila did her best to wash off the dust from her hands. Grabbing the cloth from around her neck, Sheila hurriedly dried her hands then used the cloth to wipe off any remaining dust from the Alabaster flask. Pulling her long, thick black and grey hair back into a bun, she covered her head again with the cloth she had previously draped on her head. She picked up the alabaster flask and wrapped it again with one end of the cloth draped over her head and shoulders.

As she hurried back to Simon’s house, her head was full of questions! “Will I be able to see Jesus”? “Will He speak to me”? “Will I be allowed into the home”? “What will I say”? “What will He say”? Sheila mulled these thoughts over but decided that the only way to know the answers to her questions was to find out for herself. If Jesus was even a little like what she had heard, she needed Him! If she had to stop hiding for a little while to find out, Sheila determined she would do it! Her mind decided, Sheila’s pace hurried towards Jesus.

Arriving back at the pharisee’s house, there seemed to be an even bigger crowd. A disaster ward seemed to be forming on the path around the house as people had begun bringing their sick, demon possessed and lame relatives and friends so that Jesus could heal them. She continued moving and weaving through the crowd, ever moving closer. As she neared the house she saw two of the pharisee’s male servants standing at the entrance and conversing while watching the crowd outside the house, rods in hand. Her steps slowed but she continued moving forward.

 One of the men looked at her closely and his eye caught the corner of the alabaster flask sticking out from under the cloth's edge draped over her head. He was sure he had seen her before and she did not have a good reputation however, so were many who followed this Jesus of Nazareth! "She must be one of His disciples too", he muttered to the other man who was now watching her as well. Grunting, both men turned their attention back to the crowds and their conversation. Sheila was finally standing at the main door of Simon’s home which stood ajar. Slightly encouraged, she took a deep breath then slowly stepped into the house.

The air was stifling as she stepped through the front door into a long corridor with doors on either side. Heat, sweat and noise coupled with anxiety filled the air but there was something else too. Something very peaceful and very loving. It seemed to wrap itself around her and when she encountered the first harsh stare of a servant girl bringing a platter laden with food from the kitchen, she slowed down again but did not stop moving. The servant girl briskly brushed pass her, down the long corridor and disappeared into a room where a lot of noise seemed to be coming from. Light streamed through the doors into the corridor.

Slowly Sheila reached the large doorway of the brightly lit room. Peeping into the room, she saw a large group of men who were sitting in a circle on large, colourful rugs between many soft cushions. Most of these men looked very wealthy and fat. They talked loudly and some were helping themselves from the platter that had just been brought in. She had seen men like this before. She knew many of the men here and they knew her; but they would never admit it. Looking around quickly she searched the room. There were some other men in the room that she had not seen before. They seemed very simply dressed and quieter than the rest. Among them she noticed a man as she had never seen before. He had no distinguishing features and his clothes were simple and very worn yet it seemed as though all the peace and grace in the world was His own….

His eyes lifted and fixed on hers. She stood transfixed to the spot! A range of emotions swept over her. He was the source of the Love and peace she had sensed earlier but now as His eyes met hers she felt like a blanket of love was engulfing her and like nothing else mattered. There was something else in his eyes. Sorrow…..  Sheila felt a deep sorrow rising up from within her as His eyes pierced into her soul. Then and there Sheila knew she was so sorry for all the wrong she had done. She saw vividly the wrong that had been done against her since before she could speak. For the first time, she knew someone else knew and felt her pain too. All these years she had buried her hurtful memories deep inside her so she could face the world but now, they seemed to be pouring out to a perfect stranger who perfectly knew everything about her. Without a word, her painful life seemed to pour out of her’ while being wrapped in a blanket of unconditional love.

Without any thought she moved out of hiding and stepped into the light. The room fell silent. Every eye now seemed fixed on her. “Any minute now the pharisee’s servants would drive me out”, Sheila thought. She kept moving forward, heading for the Man she knew must be Jesus. He smiled at her. She knew without a doubt that He was welcoming her. Trembling now she approached Him. The eyes in the room were now watching them both, waiting, looking for a reason to accuse, judge and condemn them both.

Sheila knew that this Man they called Jesus was more than they said He was. As if awakening from a stupor she threw herself onto His feet! He said and did nothing but instead she felt His love for her as she had never felt love before. She did not even know that love like this existed! Jesus’ love for her felt kinder than the love of her long dead mother. Stronger than how she had hoped her Father had loved her. More touching than the love of her only brother who had not survived a childhood disease. More beautiful then the love of the baby, now a grown woman who despised and shunned her. She sobbed uncontrollably.

The room began to come alive again. Oblivious to it all, Sheila’s many tears washed over Jesus feet. Still sobbing she started drying away her tears from Jesus feet with her hair that had now come loose and was spilling around her face. She had to have more of Him. His love seemed to compel her to stay. There seemed to be no hurry. Hardly aware of anyone or anything else, Sheila continued drying Jesus feet with her hair as tears continued to fall. She kissed his feet in between her sobs. It felt so natural….. A tender memory of her kissing two tiny baby feet gently came to her. A fresh burst of tears sprang from her eyes as she felt the pain of her daughter’s rejection leave her. She felt her mother’s arms around her, comforting her. She heard her brother’s playful laugh as he tugged on her hair. Beautiful memories of her life’s small joys and blessing surrounded her. Yes she had been loved and here now she knew complete love.

As a peace that Sheila had never felt before enveloped her she remembered why she had come. Sheila had long heard of Jesus of Nazareth and was not sure she would ever meet Him. Now that He had come to the city in which she lived, she wanted to offer Him a gift. She had heard how much love and care He showed to the simple, poor, sick and outcast among her people. Hoping that He’d show her some attention too, she had brought Him the most valuable thing she possessed. An alabaster flask full of expensive perfume as a present. Something to get her ring side seats to the action. She had not expected to encounter God in the simplest form and be so profoundly moved. There was nothing here for her to see except herself. She was looking into a mirror and seeing the depths of her soul and all the darkness there; yet being loved and healed.

Her plan did not matter now so when she remembered the flask she lifted her head and looked around her. She had not remembered it once she had caught sight of Jesus so she was surprised to see it lay just on her left with half the cloth still around her neck covering it. Reaching for the flask she lifted it and found it was still intact. “That in itself is a miracle but what now”? Sheila thought. This gift seemed no longer relevant or appropriate. Without any further hesitation, Sheila removed the wooden cork from the flask and lifted the flask off the ground while reciting a simple prayer over it.

The aroma filled the room and the attention was on Jesus and Sheila all over again. Voices that had been mocking, gossiping, plotting, judging went silent as she slowly poured the entire contents of the flask unto Jesus feet. Sheila gently mopped up the extra oil on Jesus feet with her hair as she smiled through her puffy red eyes. She felt so liberated. It was as if every hurt Sheila had ever felt had been healed. Every weight of sin, guilt and shame had been lifted and every wrong she had ever done had been forgiven. Sheila felt her fear for the future vanish. She had just poured out her most valuable possession, her retirement plan, onto Jesus’ feet yet no longer felt afraid for her future. He had taken away everything that had bound her to her painful past. Sheila was reborn!

Jesus was speaking, but not to her…. Sheila continued mopping His feet with her hair. Finally He turned to her. Kneeling, with Jesus’ feet still in her hands, her eyes fastened on His, she heard Him say, “Your sins are forgiven”! When these words were spoken, Sheila was almost bowled over with a sudden overwhelming sensation of unimaginable joy! People were murmuring but Jesus ignored them and continued talking to her. Smiling he added, “your Faith has saved you". "Go in peace”! Sheila beamed at Jesus, then rising slowly, bowed to Jesus one last time leaving as swiftly as she had come in. All eyes were on her but this time, it was because she was radiant!

Ok, so I took poetic license. Sue me! The fact is that the Bible is the word of God. Thank God that I am not too wise or educated to dispute, reject or condemn it. I choose to simply accept it! It is a matter of Faith. Thank God! Meditating on the scriptures produces and increases faith and so does praying, regularly meeting with other followers of Christ, remembering what Christ has done for you and hearing the testimony of others.

After praying and reading my Bible, this story became real. The text became a REAL woman before a REAL God who REALLY loved and forgave. The Lord loves everyone and forgives all who would come to Him in Faith.  "….For he who comes to God must believe that HE IS, and is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him". Hebrews 11:6.

Even though I took poetic license with this story, ask yourself this. Can you relate to the humanity of this story? Well, if you’re not from any of the other planets in our solar system, (Yes, including Pluto) or another galaxy, then I believe that this story would connect on some level with you, if only to empathise with Sheila and the millions like her. What if a woman, a mother, friend, sister, daughter brings the best of everything she has to Jesus as an offering and then upon being in His presence finds her offering, the best she has to offer, immaterial, irrelevant and lacking?

What if in this time and place this woman realises His great love for her and becomes aware that there is nothing else she can ever offer Him except for her soul? After all, Jesus died for the sins of the whole world. If you were the only person in it, Jesus would die to save you and not for a flask of oil or for all the gold and riches that the world could offer? Only for you.

What if it was this realisation for Sheila that made her fall to her knees and worship Jesus in this manner, pouring out her most valuable possession, the best the world had ever produced for her, unto His feet? I believe that with this new great realisation of Jesus’ great and all encompassing love, for the first time this daughter of Abraham loved fully and was forgiven from her many sins....

All I know is she left this place cleaner then the Pharisees! She had been saved by her faith and redeemed by His great love!!!


Audra