The woman with the alabaster jar.
The woman with the alabaster jar.
As we noted this woman may have been Mary the sister of Lazarus and Martha, and most commentaries would link to her. Nowhere does Jesus call her by name. But what we do know is that she brought a stone jar filled with expensive fragrant oil of spikenard. The name Alabaster comes from the town of Alabastron in Egypt who originally made them from a stone like marble. And as time went on all the perfume bottles became known as alabaster jars, like we have done with Jacuzzi tubs. The fragrant oil was made from a plant called Nardostachys jatamansi which grows in the Himalayas mountains and has a spiky root.
We have learned that this box would have been sold for 300 denarii, 300 days wages for the soldier or common worker, roughly $1,050. For this reason, we believe the woman came from a wealthy family. Most people would not have such an expensive perfume in their homes. You can buy replicas on Amazon that cost about $50. To equal the same cost you would have to buy 21 with the total weight of perfume being 19 fluid oz or roughly 2 and 1/2 cups.
While the people were grumbling about the cost and what should have been done with it, Jesus began to praise her for the sacrifice she made to prepare His body for burial in a few days. And then begins to tell of her story being told wherever the gospel is preached. But why?
”When it was already evening, because it was preparation day (that is, the day before the Sabbath),“
”When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so they could go and anoint Him. Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they went to the tomb at sunrise.“
It was too late for the women and Joseph to do it on Friday night. Saturday was the day of rest. Sunday Jesus rose too early to be anointed. So why did she anoint Jesus? God knew there would be no time to do it so He impressed on her heart to do it a few days earlier. So we should be proclaiming the provincial power of God when we talk about her and the gospel.
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