As Christians, one of the sacraments we celebrate as a community is the Lord's Supper. The Lord's Supper was instituted by Jesus at the last Passover dinner he had with his disciples the day before he was crucified. He was pointing to the disciples that He was going to die as a sacrifical Lamb, as a perfect offering for the sins of the world. His broken Body was to be represented by the bread and His innocent blood that would be poured out was to be represented by the wine. Jesus' loving sacrifical act as our substitute through His broken body and poured blood paved the way for humankind to be reconciled back to God and to freed from the hold of sin and death!Mark 14:22-25
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take it; this is my body." Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it. "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many," he said to them. "I tell you the truth, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God."
In our lives, we often don't like being in a broken state and wonder what good can come out of a state of brokenness. When we reflect on Jesus's death on the cross - His broken body and poured out blood, we realise that it was a beautiful noble thing! The lady who annointed Jesus prior to His death with the expensive perfume clearly understood this. That is why, she had no problem breaking the beautiful alabaster jar to pour out the perfume which was worth a year's wages and anoint Jesus with it! While many questioned her act as wasteful, Jesus commended her heart and said it was a beautiful act!
Mark 14:3-6
While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, "Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor." And they rebuked her harshly. "Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.."
To be broken and then poured out is the secret of spreading the fragrance of the Lord through our lives. Many a time we can't be poured out and be effective because we are not willing to be broken. Each one of us has 'perfume'- the presence of the Holy Spirit inside our jars of clay. Our inner jar of selfishness and self-centredness must be broken, if the sweet fragrance of the perfume is to be released and poured out. This brokenness can be the result of repentance from sin, the acceptance of circumstances in our lives like hardship or the willingness to offer to the Lord that which is very dear to us inorder to obey Him. The result will be that a sweet aroma will flow into our own souls and through it to people around us because it is Christ's life at work in us!
2 Corinthians 4:7-12
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
What are the hardships and brokenness in your own life? Take heart and be encouraged today as a state of brokenness is not a wasteful thing but a beautiful thing in the Lord's hands! He will use it to allow His fragrance to be poured out through you.
Psalm 51:17
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
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