John 12:3 NIV | “Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.”

Marks version has it that “She broke the jar and poured the perfume…”

Mary broke the jar of the expensive perfume, and the entire house was filled with its fragrance.

I was listening to a song by one of my not-so-favourite gospel artists, two days ago. The presence and power of the Holy Spirit was heavily on him and on the song. Instantly, the Holy Spirit whispered to me: “He’s a broken vessel. That’s how come you’re being so blessed and inspired.”

Observe that the Maker is in the business of using broken things and people. Only broken fallow grounds can give crops. Broken Peter, unlike Judas, got restored to his place. Broken Jacob became God’s most treasured possession – Israel. Broken Jesus’ body and His poured out blood, brought the redemption of mankind.

Broken jars give off fragrance. The fragrance filled the room as the jar was broken and poured out. There is so much to you. You are an alabaster jar waiting to be broken and poured out. Until your jar is broken and your oil poured out, your fragrance cannot scent. There is a treasure deposited in you. Your fragrance – sweetness – impact, comes from that treasure within you. 

2 Corinthians 4:7 NIV | “But we have this treasure in jars of clay.”

That treasure is the Holy Spirit. He shines and oozes out through us, only as we get broken. And brokenness is about being completely emptied of the flesh and self. It is dying to our desires and making the pleasures of God our treasure. This is the sweetest fragrance to God. No wonder Jesus couldn’t love it more from Mary; the fragrance of one who is completely dead to the flesh, totally emptied of his will, and completely in love and yielded to the Holy Spirit.

Our unbroken and unyielded nature is unusable to God. It counts for nothing. It is of no benefit to anyone. It rather alienates and isolates us from God

1 John 2:16 MSG| “Practically everything that goes on in the world – wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important – has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him.”

Holy Spirit, help us to crucify our flesh, so that we can realize the fullness and sweetness of life that You have willed for us.