Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head. Mark 14:3
The Bible doesn’t tell who this woman is and yet nine verses of her encounter with Jesus hold so much hope for us. Alabaster jars would be filled with expensive perfume to keep them pure and unspoiled, they are sealed with wax to retain and preserve the scent, when the owner wished to use it the neck had to be broken completely, it would have cost a year’s wage, so this woman came with a valuable possession. Once the narrow neck of the vessel was broken, there would be no going back. All would be laid bare; this was her all. With this single act of devotion, love, and sacrifice, she was bringing Jesus her expensive perfume. It was the ultimate act of love. By breaking the alabaster jar the woman was honoring Jesus by anointing Him with oil that was valuable to her. It was the best she could offer, and she willingly poured it out as an act of worship.
The woman with the alabaster jar reminds us that we are only serving one person, it doesn’t matter what the world says, what the critics say, or who else is in the room. We are called to worship our King and do His work. God values our offering; a bottle of perfume is small, but to her it was costly, and her heart was in the right place. This story holds a wonderful picture of what a heart of worship looks like for us, it’s not a show, it’s not bright lights or loud music, or trying to impress but a heart that fully seeks God and seeks to honor Him.