Break the Box
Luke 7: 36-50 – “Break the Box and Pour it Out!!”
By now you should know that the theme of Luke is that Jesus comes to seek and to save those that are lost. It would appear from all of the Gospels about Jesus that Luke in particular focuses on the people who are considered to be the outcasts.
Luke in particular covers seven key aspects in particular scholars say:
1) That it is a Gospel full of stories that show us Jesus and his interaction with the people. It shows Jesus as a sociable savior. He goes where the people are. He is not a hidden savior, but one who does not mind going after the lost. While other religions focuses in on concepts, ethics, morals, and philosophies, the truth about Jesus comes in what he does through the story. It should let us all know that the God we serve is more interested in your social interactions than just about your head knowledge about God. The God we serve wants to be integrated in your life not to be talked about but to be intimately involved in your everyday life. My story is not a concept but it is about God interacting and intervening in my life. God is not only the author of my story but he is the main character of my book. Your life and mine right now is one story, We are involved in things that are sad and things that are happy, things that are painful and things that are pleasing, yet all that we go through will be summed up in all the experiences we go through because God is our Alpha and our Omega- Our beginning and our end.
Stories are also good because our genes, our training, our education, our environment, our disappointments, our pains and our triumphs gives us all a perspective on how things are going on in our lives and why some of us act the way that we do. We are a product of what is going on around us.
2) Luke’s Gospel is a gospel of Joy. Joy is the sign of the presence of God. There should be no sad saints and neither does joy depend on my circumstances, no matter how bad they are, if we know who is the Source and Giver of our life and he has saved you, forgiven you, healed you, delivered you, made a way for you, continues to open doors to sustain and maintain you, how can you not have joy.
3) Luke’s Gospel is also universal. While Matthew writes to the Jews to show Jesus as King, Mark writes to the Romans (lovers of power) to show Jesus as the active servant, John writes to the believers or the church to show Jesus as God, Luke writes to everybody to let everyone know that there is answer to whatever sickness or sin that they may have in their lives. It is the Gospel for everyone not just to a specific group, not just to the spiritual, not just to the powerful but to anyone who needs a deliverer. Jesus is the hope of the world. Luke does not say that everyone will be saved but what he does imply is that everyone can be saved- old, young, slave, free, rich, poor, Jew, Gentile, white, black. I want you to know today that whatever and whoever you are; Jesus died for you and has come for you.
I want to know that if you are sick – Jesus has come for you. If you are in sin- Jesus came for you. Addicted to drugs, alcohol, sex, pornography- Jesus came for you. Depressed, anxious, nervous, no peace in your life or home – Jesus came for you. Trouble on your job or in your home – Jesus came for you. He’s universal and if you are in trouble – Jesus can fix it for you for he knows just what to do. Whenever you pray just let Jesus have His way. Jesus can fix it for you.
4) This Gospel is for the poor, the lost, and the broken. This Gospel lets us know that Jesus cares for about you.
5) Luke is a Gospel for women – Jesus’ blesses some significant women who become a major part of sharing the Gospel. Any women who lived controversial lives.
6) Luke writes about home life –Luke writes about Jesus’ relationship with Mary and Joseph, John the Baptist and on several occasions the homes that he visits to be blessing like in this text that we have read today. Jesus does not mind going to a party. Jesus does not mind getting out and mixing it up with the people. The Bible says if our gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost. Look at somebody if you are a believer and tell them to stop hiding. You suppose to be the light; you supposed to be the salt of the earth. Break out of your box and worship God. Somebody needs to see you worship and let them know that you are not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for it is the power of salvation unto God to everyone that believeth.
7) Scholars have said that Luke’s Gospel is also deeply spiritual – It mentions angels, prayer and the Holy Spirit more than any other gospel. It is a gospel that speaks of salvation, casting out demons and healings.
In our text
The beauty of knowing God is that God wants us to become all that God would want us to become in the Kingdom. I thank God first of all that my past was not all that God thought of me, but when I look at my life now I see that God has had and still has much more in store for my life. Thank God that people don’t have the last say, but God has the last say and God determines my destiny. While others have their opinion about you and want you as far away from them, God is saying I am right here and I will catch you when and before you fall.
It shows me something about God’s unconditional love which is the essence of the Gospel. The good news is that God’s love is unconditional. It is not a love like we have, unless you do something for me, I’ll do something for you or the kind of love that says I will, if you will. With God his love is 100% unconditional. There is nothing right now that you can do to make him love you more than he does right now. All you have to do is give God your life and break the box of worship and allow God to fill you with his love. God says I love even while you are a mess, I love you. Even while you are depress, I love you. Even while you are addicted to whatever, I love you. While we were yet sinners, Jesus died for the ungodly.
We find that has been invited to Simon the Leper’s house. He is known as Simon the Leper because he must have been miraculously healed of his leprosy and he has invited Jesus to his house. While there a woman by the name of Mary breaks into the house before all of the men and already the Bible says she has a shady background because Simon points out that Jesus must not be a prophet because if he had known what type of woman this was, he would not have her wiping his feet with his hair.
I am always amazed at people who have issues themselves always pointing out somebody’s else’s issues. Jesus is in the room and rather than focus on Jesus, they focus on everything and everybody else.
Mary, Miriam– Rebellious. I like people who break-out because they don’t have anything to lose. She has the spirit right now of “I don’t care what you think of me right now, I have got to praise him.” I am not worried about what you say or what you do. I have got to give him thanks.
I don’t have anything else to lose. I already have a bad reputation. I already am being talked about. I already am being ostracized. I am already being cast aside, but I got to come to the savior anyway. I already been called dumb and stupid. I already have been called out of my name. There is nothing else for you to say. So let me praise him. Let me give him glory.
Some called their daughters Mary, Mirian because they wanted to break the yoke of bondage from the Roman Empire. Break the yoke of their oppressors. By her breaking forth she was breaking the yoke of sin off of her neck.
She didn’t come empty handed but she had an alabaster box and inside of it was spikenard and she broke her box in praise. Spikenard
Spikenard, a rare and costly fragrant oil, was used by Mary of Bethany to anoint the head and feet of the Messiah two days before His death, as recorded in John 12:3: “Then Mary took a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment.” It speaks of the Bride’s extravagant adoration of & intimacy with the Bridegroom, in total abandonment, without regard to cost. We call Spikenard "The Fragrance of the Bride", for it symbolizes the bride who has made herself ready.
Song of Sol 1:12 "While the king sits at his table, my spikenard sends forth its fragrance."
Spikenard Poured Out is my way of "pouring out" what the Lord has so graciously put into me. May He be glorified. Mary's example of pouring out her spikenard, to the last drop, on Yeshua, her Messiah, is a very important lesson to us all. Whatever the Lord has put in your hand, whatever He has filled you with, don't hold back...pour it out upon Him...to the very last drop. He is Worthy, Worthy
The Bible says that the aroma filled the room because it was worth a whole lot of money. Some estimated about $300. She broke the box. This is really not about the box but it was about her being broken. She knew that she was a sinner and needed a savior. Sometimes you have to break certain things in order to produce a harvest.
Vance Havener said:
"God uses broken things. It takes broken soil to
produce a crop, broken clouds to give rain, broken
grain to give bread, broken bread to give strength. It
is the broken alabaster box that gives forth perfume.
Simon questions Jesus. I am always worried about people like that because when people come around you with shady backgrounds they start questioning you as a child of God. But while they are talking, the woman is still worshiping.
That is what I want to tell somebody. Wile others are worrying, you keep worshiping. While others are looking for trouble, you keep praising God. While others are looking for a fight, you keep on telling God how great he is because after while God is going to do a transformation.
Jesus gives Simon a short parable.
There were two debtors, one who owed a lot and one who owed a little. Jesus asked simon, who do you think had the most gratitude. The one who owed a lot.
In a sense she described this woman whose sins were now forgiven. She was not worthy of anything but the Master forgave her of all of her sins.
The he tells Simon, I have been in your house and you have not offered me anything. You have yet to give me water to wash my feet, but this woman since I have been here has not stopped wiping my feet with her hair. Now it was not customary for a woman to let down her hair, because when a woman let down their hair in those days that meant something else, but when she let down her hair she was telling Jesus, that I give you the best of me without being ashamed. Hair of the woman was her glory. As she let down her hair she was saying I release my glory in order to give you all of the Glory. I humble myself so that I can lift up. I’ll become meek so that you can be exalted.