Alabaster Box

Biblical Accounts

The alabaster box appears in Matthew 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9, and Luke 7:36-50.

• Mark and Matthew: While Jesus was staying at the house of Simon the leper in Bethany, a woman brought an alabaster box of costly ointment and poured it on his head. Mark records that she "brake the box" and poured it out. Some of those present grew indignant, saying that "it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor" (Mark 14:5). Jesus said that the woman had prepared him beforehand for his burial, and that wherever the gospel was preached, what she had done would also be told (Mark 14:8-9).
• John 12:1-8: This passage appears to describe the same event. Here the woman is identified as Mary, the sister of Lazarus (Martha and Mary), who pours the ointment on the feet of Jesus and wipes them with her hair. The one who objects is identified as Judas Iscariot. The term "alabaster box" does not appear in John's Gospel.
• Luke 7:36-50: This event takes place in the region of Galilee, in the house of a Pharisee named Simon. "A woman in the city, which was a sinner" (Luke 7:37) brought an alabaster box of ointment, washed the feet of Jesus with her tears, wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment. Through this event Jesus taught about the love shown by one who has been forgiven.

Background

The Greek word alabastron, rendered okhap in Korean Bibles, refers to a small, long-necked flask used to hold ointment or perfume. Such flasks were commonly made of alabaster, a soft white stone. The Korean term literally means "a jade hap (a lidded container)," but this does not mean the vessel was actually made of the gemstone jade. The "pure nard" mentioned in Mark (KJV "spikenard," Mark 14:3) is known to have been an expensive aromatic imported from distant regions. Since one denarius (KJV "penny") was a laborer's daily wage (Matthew 20:2), three hundred denarii was a large sum, close to a year's wages.

Significance Within Scripture

In the Old Testament, anointing with oil marked the installation of kings and priests (anointing). The words "Messiah" and "Christ" likewise mean "anointed one." The Gospels report that Jesus interpreted this anointing not as an installation as king but as a preparation, in advance, for his burial. For this reason the event is read as a scene pointing toward the approaching cross.

Interpretation and Issues

• How many events took place: The prevailing view holds that the accounts in Matthew, Mark, and John describe the same event. Many interpreters regard Luke's account as a separate event because its setting, characters, and teaching differ. Some hold that all four passages describe a single event.
• Who the woman was: One tradition identifies the "woman who was a sinner" in Luke, Mary of Bethany, and Mary Magdalene as the same person. This tradition is said to have spread in the Western church following a sermon by Pope Gregory I in the late sixth century. The Orthodox Church has kept them distinct. Today Protestant and Catholic scholars also generally hold that the text alone provides no basis for identifying them as the same individual. The claim that Mary Magdalene was a sinful woman does not appear in the text.
• Devotion and almsgiving: Interpretations differ on the saying "For ye have the poor with you always" (Mark 14:7). Some read it as giving priority to devotion offered to Jesus; others read it as emphasizing that this was a unique moment that would not come again. Interpreters generally agree, however, that the saying does not justify neglecting almsgiving.

In the Korean Church

The expression "breaking the alabaster box" is widely used in sermons and prayers to signify devotion that offers one's most precious possession without reservation. It is cited especially often in sermons connected with dedication services or offerings.