Dear Lady,
I often find myself imagining the story of the woman with the alabaster jar, creating countless versions in my mind. In the Gospel of Luke, she is described as a sinful woman, while Matthew and Mark simply refer to her as "a woman." There’s an air of mystery about her—a distinctiveness that isn’t painted in the most favorable light. For the longest time, I assumed she might have been a harlot, shaped by teachings and the strong reaction her presence provoked when she stood before Jesus.
Luke 7:37-39 tells her story:
“And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, and stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, ‘This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner."
Now, come with me into my imagination for a moment. Picture what she might have been wearing—perhaps she had just come from work. Imagine how she looked, how every set of eyes burnt into her as she approached, and how she must have felt in that moment. The discomfort in the air was palpable. No one understood what she was doing or who she had come for—after all, she wasn’t invited.
Sometimes, my thoughts run wild as I wonder what kind of perfume she carried in her alabaster jar. If it were today, perhaps it would be something extravagant, super expensive like Shumukh or simply not that crazy expensive and say DKNY Golden Delicious Limited Edition, but the Bible does emphasise it was an expensive fragrance. And if she truly was a harlot, she must have been an exceptional one, known throughout the city—even to those who didn’t require her services. Now that’s what I’d call impeccable marketing skills! (But that’s a story for another day.)
On a serious note though, one thing I really love about this story is that the time of change had come, and nothing was about to limit her or draw her back from reaching her goals—not even her own fears or what people knew about her. She was ready to usher in new beginnings and bring a new chapter to her life.
Beautiful lady, we all have issues. Some have comfortably remained within us, while some were pasted involuntarily into our lives. Come, I tell you, it doesn't matter how you gained the issue. When the time of change comes, you will not need to read the biography of how it came about. People's opinions become invalid, and your very own limitations and fears fall off.
Do you think this woman would have made it to Jesus if she was concerned about what everyone else thought about her? The Bible refers to her as an immoral woman, meaning she lived a life that was not conforming to the standards of living. I strongly assume her sin was done privately, but when the time of change came, she stood right in front of everyone in broad daylight, where her vulnerabilities were exposed to the fullest. She had to walk to Jesus to wash His feet with her tears and anoint Him with all she had that was worthy to her (alabaster jar perfume). What if Jesus had refused to be washed because she was a sinner? These are some of the fears she might have had, but she was willing to risk it all to gain something new.
True change comes from a strong personal decision, and it comes from within. Nothing external can stop it. It really does not matter what people think of you. Those people looked at her with indignation as she entered. They judged her and labeled her a sinner. They even judged Jesus Himself because they thought He was not able to perceive who she was (so they thought). She might have been called a sinner, but I call her a bold woman because only a woman like her understands the importance of change that ushers in new beginnings.
As their opinions were silently brewing in their minds, change was actively taking place right before their eyes. Let me tell you something—they did not have the full story about her life, about her future. Their minds limited them to her past.
Let me take you to the scriptures again:Mark 5:25 - And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,26 - And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,27 - When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.28 - For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.29 - And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.
This woman with the issue of blood defied odds, too. She came to a point of change, and she wasn't planning to be limited by culture or what was expected of her since she was "diseased." Remember, this woman had no business being near where people were; she was to stay away in solitude because of her issue.
To really think of it, she might have been weak and pale (12 years nonstop is not a joke), so maybe standing was no option, and she had to crawl all the way. However, the Bible tells us that she pressed behind until she got to her place of new beginnings—a new chapter of her life of total freedom.
Remember also blind Bartimaeus. No one could keep him quiet. He needed to see, and the people were trying to stand right between him and his new chapter of seeing. He kept on shouting until he got his miracle. Anyway, they could see and he couldn't, so he was the one in need.
Dear lady, when you have had enough of your situation, you will press on like a crazy woman. You will reduce your hours of sleep to add more hours into studying or into your career. You will stop worrying about what people say, and you will open that new chapter of your life. I mean, you will even stop spending money unnecessarily, and you will invest in your future.
Sometimes it takes working towards your character—maybe a simple thing like admitting you were wrong and apologizing. Maybe it takes learning how to keep time. I mean, you can't be late all the time. It takes discipline, commitment, and respect for other people's time.
Maybe you have been applying for a job and have been getting rejections. Press on, babe. Maybe you've been a drug addict, and it seems like that is what you will always be termed as—you can still change your story.
The list is endless, but no one can force you to change. It can only come from your heart.
Above all, I would like to encourage you to make your change towards Jesus. He will help you, and you will find rest. He knows all the plans He has for you—plans of goodness and not of evil. 😊
Enjoy 2019.
With Love
Lady Fortunate
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