A Broken Flask

“...And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, "This man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner." And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." So he said, "Teacher, say it." "There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. "And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?" Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more." And He said to him, "You have rightly judged." Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. "You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. "You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. "Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little." Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

(Luke 7:36-50)

“...as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head. But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, "Why was this fragrant oil wasted? "For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor." And they criticized her sharply. But Jesus said, "Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me. "For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always. "She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial. "Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her."

(Mark 14:3-9)

     I remember listening to a sermon given by Paul Washer (if you don't know the name I suggest you look him up but be prepared to be convicted). It was a good sermon but what I really remember is the prayer afterword. I couldn't tell you what he said or what it was about but I remember the passion with which he prayed. Even more than that I remember my reaction and the thoughts that came from that experience. My initial reaction to this man whose voice was cracking as he began to weep and cry out to God was to pull away, to distance myself as from an embarrassing friend while in public. Why was he crying?

     Why wasn't I?

     That second thought came almost immediately. Why wasn't I crying and why did I find it so immediately distasteful? Here was a man not afraid to look the fool and there was I, a man apparently unwilling to do the same. Here was a man cracked and shattered under the weight of the knowledge of God and his position to Him. Here was honesty.

     Looking back I've realized that we are often so unwilling to look foolish or weak, even to ourselves. We hold back tears and we pretend that everything is okay just so we can maintain some pride or self-respect. When Mary came to the feet of Jesus she didn't wait until He was alone. She didn't tip-toe to His side and whisper her need for Him in His ear. She didn't even carefully pour the oil, she broke the flask! That broken bottle meant she could no longer hold any of it for herself. There was no way for Mary to hold on to what was so valuable, she poured it all out for Christ. There was no taking it back.

     We can't hold back, there's no room for pride and no room for self-respect. We know what lurks inside of us and how desperately we need the Savior. We need to be like Mary. We need to be willing to pay the heavy cost. Cry when it's time to cry and weep when it's time to weep, scuff the knees of your pants and look foolish in front of the crowd. I don't want to pull away from the truth, I am someone who needs salvation and so are you.

     This doesn't come easily, or perhaps not readily. I think Mary was able to do what she did because she knew who she was. We can't be willing to pay the price unless we know the cost. Too often we minimize sin and we play down evil but I guarantee you that you are worse than you think. Sin isn't just the odd mistake or poor choice it is the opposite of all that should exist in reality. Think about it, sin and evil were such heavy issues that it took the death of God Himself in human flesh to pay for it! Do you really think there's any way you can cover that cost yourself?

     We need to be more than truth-seekers and students, we need to do more than agree with the general state of mankind, we need to be broken. Take the time to look inward at the dark corners of your soul until you realize that apart from God the darkness doesn't hide in the corners only. Be like a man who cries and prays, be like the woman who falls and weeps; let go of your pride. Break the bottle.

Sinner Saved

We can't let go, for even a moment.  Temptation and weakness wait for us in the moments.  We have strength yes, given by God to be used against the darkness but a weapon is only of use if it wielded.  Think back to the times when you failed, was it part of an elaborate plan or did it steal upon you quietly?

Sin can't come barging in the door of your mind because we're prepared for that.  We've barred the doors and shut the windows and are looking for a dragon to come flying down with teeth bared and flame roaring.  We don't think about the basement.  We forget that the dragon is often little more than a distraction while the nature still attached to us raises the knife.

The wound cuts deep and hurts more when we see the blade -covered in our blood- being held by our own hand.  We rail against it, we mourn and weep and forget that we don't have to.  We don't have to.  We are free if we would only realize it.  Sin shouts so loud and so much that it seems imposing but it's not, it's not.  We can say no.

It seems so easy and trust me I know that it's harder in the moment but believe me when I say that you can just say no.  When temptation comes in the dark times, the alone times, the weak times, you can refuse; but we must be prepared.  We have to soak our lives in prayer, we have to know the Word, we must prepare.

This isn't a fight about bravado or glory, it's survival.  We must be brave but in very real sense we must be cowards.  We have to cower behind the shield of faith because to walk blithely into battle as if we have any strength of our own is a sure recipe for death.  It's not about proving you can drink the poison and survive; better to not drink it at all.

I don't know about you but I've never understood sin.  From our perspective now it makes absolutely no sense.  Why do we, why do I keep doing these things?  I know better, we all do, and yet we all find our way back to guilt back to shame and back to regret.  Paul said it best:

"For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God; through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin."

(Romans 7:14-25)

Sin is a cancer and an assassin.  In the life of a believer it is not often the firestorm that threatens the home, more often it's the cracking foundation or the dripping pipe or the leaking gas; a slower quieter death.  I hate sin.  More than I used to less than I should.  When I look up and see that I've screwed up AGAIN I am both despondent and enraged.  I cannot undo no matter how much I might wish it and there is more failure there than in any physical thing that can be retried or tackled again.

God is good.  He is so good.  I am a wretch, living in a body of death and clinging to His robe for mercy.  And He loves me.

I'm not sure you heard that.

He doesn't just -understand- me, He doesn't only -pity- me, He more than just -comforts- me.  He LOVES me!  He loves us all, the whole smelly rotten putrid lot of us!  He loves us and He paid the price so high knowing full well that we would falter and fail and rebel and turn our backs to Him again and again and again before the end.  He knew every horrid thing you would do after He saved you before He saved you.  He loves us.

He loves us.

He loves me.

amen.