"Alabaster Jar Moment"

And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, "To what purpose is this waste? For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor." But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, "Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. For you will have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial. Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her."  Matthew 26:6-13

As I was praying and asking God what today's message should be about He brought to mind this moment in the life of our Lord. It is the moment when as Jesus put it, 'she poured a fragrant oil on His body to anoint it for His burial.' The disciples missed it. All they saw was a woman wasting the fragrant oil the alabaster jar contained. They missed the significance of what she was doing. This was a moment that was worth remembering according to what Jesus said, "Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her."and what that means is it was going  be remembered and talked about.

While the disciples were busy misinterpreting the scene they witnessed, Jesus knew and appreciated her gift. He knew that she was there with her most precious gift, an alabaster jar,  its very costly fragrant oil, and a heart that had one desire, to use it to bless Him. You and I can't anoint His body for burial BUT ...

What we can do is ... come before Him with a heart that is intent on blessing Him. Some might look at a time of praise and worship as a waste of time. They might misunderstand or even misinterpret its significance in the life of a believer BUT.... In reality, Our Lord knows better. He sees our heart and He knows when we come before Him and it is an Alabaster Jar Moment. An alabaster jar moment is the moment in worship when its not about what He has done for us. It is not the moment when we are focused on what He is doing for us or even what He will do for us. An alabaster jar moment is the moment when all our focus, our whole hearts desire is simply, to bless Him! To Jesus it is not a waste ... it is a moment to be remembered!