The Alabaster Jar — The Posture of Surrender
This devotion teaches that surrender means releasing control to Jesus, not offering Him leftovers.
Like the woman who broke her alabaster box and poured out what was most precious, we’re invited to bring God more than a “sample” of our hearts—our plans, security, pride, and reputation.
What looks like waste to others is worship to Christ, and the “breaking” becomes the space where His grace fills us.
Control can feel like safety—but Scripture calls us to trust the Lord with our whole hearts.
In Bethany, a woman came to Jesus with “an alabaster box of ointment… very precious” and “she brake the box, and poured it on his head” (Mark 14:3, KJV).
She didn’t measure out a little worship. She poured it all out.
To some, it looked like waste. To Jesus, it was love. When others complained, Christ said, “Let her alone… she hath wrought a good work on me” (Mark 14:6).
Surrender will not always be understood by people, but it is honoured by the Saviour.
The Lord is not impressed by polished religion; He welcomes a yielded heart.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise” (Psalm 51:17).
The “breaking” is not God crushing us—it is God freeing us: freeing us from pride, fear, and the need to control outcomes.
Lent invites us to bring Jesus the jar—not just the perfume. Not just a Sunday portion, but the place where we cling the tightest: our plans, our reputation, our money, our relationships, our need to be right. When we break the box at His feet, the fragrance rises—not of perfect strength, but of wholehearted trust.
Reflection Questions
- What is your “alabaster box” right now—what you hold onto for security?
- Are you giving Jesus a portion, or yielding the whole jar?
- Whose opinion has been louder to you than Christ’s voice?
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, I bring You what is precious to me. I confess I have held tightly to control, but today I yield. Give me a broken and contrite heart, and teach me to trust Thee fully. Let my surrender be a sweet fragrance unto Thee. In Jesus’ name, Amen.