The Alabaster Box | Pastor Corbin Kill | Sunday, May 10th, 2026

May 10, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Breaking the Stone Casket

Mary carried her alabaster box into the room where Jesus reclined. Without hesitation, she shattered its neck and poured the entire pound of spikenard over His feet. The costly perfume soaked His skin as she wiped them with her hair. Judas criticized her "waste," but Jesus defended her radical act. This wasn’t measured devotion – it was total surrender. [49:39]

Mary’s worship demolished barriers. The alabaster box had preserved the ointment’s potency, but its stone walls also kept the fragrance contained. By breaking it open, she released years’ worth of savings in one explosive act of love. Jesus received her offering as preparation for His burial – a fragrant prophecy of His coming sacrifice.

How often do we keep our worship safely contained? We ration our praise, fearing what others think or what it might cost. Yet Jesus honors those who abandon calculation to lavish love on Him. What stone lid have you been afraid to break – pride, self-consciousness, or practicality?

"Then took Mary 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 odour of the ointment."
(John 12:3, KJV)

Prayer: Ask God to reveal one area where you’ve measured your worship. Thank Him for the freedom to pour yourself out completely.
Challenge: Write down three specific blessings God has given you. Read them aloud as an offering of thanks today.

Day 2: Building the Prophet’s Chamber

The Shunammite woman recognized Elisha as God’s messenger. She didn’t wait for an invitation – she built a wall chamber with a bed, table, stool, and lamp. Her husband helped mix mortar and cut lumber. This wasn’t a guest room but a permanent dwelling, always ready for the prophet’s visits. [54:52]

By constructing this sacred space, the Shunammite positioned her household to receive God’s word. The chamber became a conduit for miracles – first the birth of her son, then his resurrection. Her practical hospitality created a throne room for divine encounters.

We often relegate God to Sunday mornings or emergency prayers. But what permanent space have you built for His presence? A cluttered heart leaves no room for daily communion. Where could you clear out distractions to make space for His voice?

"And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread. And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually. Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither."
(2 Kings 4:8-10, KJV)

Prayer: Confess any areas you’ve kept “off limits” to God. Ask Him to help you build a daily sanctuary for His presence.
Challenge: Set a phone reminder to pause at 3 PM today. Spend five minutes in silent prayer wherever you are.

Day 3: Three Strikes and Stopped

King Joash halfheartedly struck arrows on the ground three times while Elisha lay dying. The prophet erupted in frustration: “You should have struck five or six times!” Joash’s restrained obedience limited his victory over Syria. Meanwhile, Mary’s unrestrained worship secured eternal recognition. [01:06:31]

Joash treated God’s command like a superstition – going through motions without engaged faith. His measured response revealed a heart that trusted swords more than prophecies. Partial obedience always leaves blessings unclaimed.

How many breakthroughs have we missed by quitting too soon? We pray three days for healing but abandon intercession when symptoms linger. We give God ten minutes daily but wonder why He feels distant. What promise have you stopped pursuing because the ground seemed too hard to strike?

"And he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed. And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice."
(2 Kings 13:18-19, KJV)

Prayer: Ask forgiveness for times you’ve limited your obedience. Pray for perseverance to “strike the ground” until God says stop.
Challenge: Identify one prayer request you’ve neglected. Commit to praying for it daily this week.

Day 4: Between the Ointment and the Wound

The alabaster box stood between Mary’s costly perfume and Jesus’ sacred feet. Its stone walls preserved the ointment’s purity but prevented its purpose. Only when shattered could the spikenard fulfill its destiny – anointing the Messiah for burial. The broken vessel released healing where death’s stench once lingered. [45:45]

Like Lazarus’ tombstone, the alabaster lid represented barriers between life and death. Jesus removed one stone to resurrect a friend; Mary removed another to honor her Savior. Both acts required demolishing what seemed permanent.

What barriers keep your worship from reaching Christ’s feet? Reputation? Busyness? The lie that practical service (like Martha’s cooking) substitutes for intimate devotion? When will you let love override preservation?

"And there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head."
(Mark 14:3, KJV)

Prayer: Name one “barrier” you’ve placed between yourself and wholehearted worship. Ask Jesus to help you break it.
Challenge: During your next meal, pause before eating to verbally thank Christ for one specific gift.

Day 5: The House Filled with Fragrance

When Mary broke the alabaster box, the perfume’s scent overwhelmed Simon’s home. Years later, John still remembered the aroma clinging to Jesus’ skin as He faced the cross. What Mary poured out in minutes lingered for days – a fragrant witness to reckless love. [27:39]

Our worship leaves spiritual residue. Measured praise evaporates quickly, but abandoned devotion permeates lives. The Shunammite’s chamber still echoes with resurrection power. Mary’s broken box still preaches through Scripture.

What fragrance will your worship leave? Will it be the faint scent of occasional prayers, or an intoxicating aroma that draws others to Christ? When others enter your life’s “house,” what will they smell – the stench of self-preservation or the perfume of poured-out love?

"The house was filled with the odour of the ointment."
(John 12:3, KJV)

Prayer: Ask God to make your life a lingering fragrance of Christ. Thank Him for the honor of carrying His scent.
Challenge: Light a candle today. Each time you notice its scent, whisper: “Jesus, overflow through me.”

Sermon Summary

We bring our needs before the Lord and remember that God moves in both small moments and great miracles. We recall how memorials and memories steady faith when storms come, and we return again and again to the goodness that has carried us. We see Martha and Mary at Bethany as two ways of relating to Jesus: service that focuses on exactness and hospitality that pours out without measure. We watch Mary break her alabaster box and pour costly ointment on Jesus, an action that converts preserved treasure into fragrant worship and exposes our temptation to ration devotion.

We see the alabaster box as a barrier that kept potency safe until the moment of surrender. Alabaster preserved the balm, but breaking it released the healing aroma. We compare that release to the raising of Lazarus, where the smell of death yielded to the sweet scent of life. We note how the Shunammite woman built a room for the man of God; she did not wait for chance visits but created a place for the word and presence to dwell. Building room for God anchors us so that when trouble comes we know where to run and how to meet the Lord in the midst of loss.

We confront the danger of measured worship and half-hearted persistence. Joash strikes the ground three times and stops; the restraint limits victory. We learn that spiritual discipline without perseverance becomes a failure of expectant faith. The call rises to set our affections on things above, to pour out without lid or accounting, and to make space in our homes and hearts for God to dwell. When we remove stones of self-consciousness, tradition, and fear, we find life more abundant, available, and powerful.

We invite immediate response: build spaces for the Lord in daily life, refuse to catalogue or budget affection, and practice worship as surrender rather than performance. We persist in sacramental acts and simple habits that keep the presence near. In doing so we exchange preserved safety for poured-out life, and we discover that what we give away in worship returns multiplied as presence, power, and resurrection hope.

Key Takeaways

1. Break the alabaster box Mary’s breaking of the alabaster box turns preserved treasure into poured-out worship. That act models sacrifice that refuses to keep blessings for later and shows how surrender releases the healing and fragrant power of God into our lives. When we stop protecting our gifts and pour them out, presence fills the room and memory becomes testimony. [49:39]
2. Build a room for God The Shunammite woman made structural space for the man of God so the word would dwell in her house. Intentionally creating access and habit for the presence of God means we do not rely on chance; we prepare for help before trouble arrives. Such preparation roots our worship in practice, not only sentiment, so presence becomes a first response in crises. [55:14]
3. Do not ration your worship Measured worship turns devotion into a budget rather than an offering. Worship that keeps a lid on affection limits encounter and compresses blessing into a transaction instead of an overflow of love. Choosing unrestrained worship reorients our hearts to treasure God supremely, not secondarily. [68:37]
4. Persevere in spiritual acts Joash’s early stopping shows how half-effort curtails promised victory. Repeated acts of faith, prayer, and obedience multiply spiritual effect when sustained with expectancy. Persistence widens God’s work in our lives; quitting early consigns promised breakthroughs to partial outcomes. [66:31]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[02:13] - Corporate prayer and needs
[06:22] - Remembering God’s past works
[26:54] - Setting: Bethany and the Passover
[41:04] - Lazarus raised: life over death
[44:39] - The alabaster box explained
[54:52] - The Shunammite woman’s prepared room
[65:17] - Elisha, Joash, and persistence
[71:22] - Invitation to pour out worship
[73:33] - Closing worship and benediction

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
- John 12:1-3 (KJV): "Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany… anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment."
- 2 Kings 4:8-10 (KJV): "And it fell on a day… Let us make a little chamber… and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither."
- 2 Kings 13:14-19 (KJV): "Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness… And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times."

Observation questions

In John 12:3, what specific action did Mary take with the alabaster box, and what was the immediate result? [49:39]
How did the Shunammite woman prepare for the prophet Elisha’s visits, and what practical items did she include in the room? [55:14]
What consequence did Joash face for striking the ground only three times, according to 2 Kings 13:19? [01:06:31]
According to the sermon, what two "stones" or barriers often prevent people from fully surrendering in worship? [01:12:23]

Interpretation questions

Why might breaking the alabaster box (John 12:3) have been seen as wasteful or excessive by others in the room, and how does this contrast with Jesus’ perspective? [50:05]
The Shunammite woman built a room for Elisha before her crisis (2 Kings 4:8-10). How does creating intentional space for God’s presence in seasons of peace prepare us for seasons of trouble? [01:03:14]
Joash’s half-hearted obedience limited his victory (2 Kings 13:18-19). What does this reveal about the relationship between persistence and faith in spiritual disciplines? [01:07:36]
How does the comparison between Martha’s “measured” service and Mary’s “unrestrained” worship challenge common attitudes toward practicality and devotion? [32:14]

Application questions

What is one “alabaster box” in your life (a reserved gift, resource, or act of worship) that you’ve been hesitant to fully break open for God? What step could you take this week to pour it out? [49:39]
The Shunammite woman built a physical room for God’s presence. What tangible space or daily habit could you create to prioritize encountering God before a crisis arises? [55:14]
Reflect on a time when you “rationed” your worship or obedience (like Joash). What fears or mindsets led to holding back, and how might you respond differently now? [01:08:37]
Martha focused on exactness in service, while Mary focused on lavish affection. In your current season, are you more prone to “measuring” your devotion or pouring it out freely? What would it look like to shift toward the other? [32:42]
The sermon mentions removing “stones” of self-consciousness, tradition, or fear. Which of these most often hinders your worship, and what practical action could help dismantle it? [01:12:23]
Describe a “memorial” (a specific memory or practice) that reminds you of God’s faithfulness. How could you revisit it regularly to strengthen your trust during trials? [06:22]
What repetitive spiritual act (prayer, scripture, serving) have you been tempted to abandon prematurely? How might persevering in it open doors for greater breakthrough? [01:06:31]

Sermon Clips

33s

#WorshipWithoutLimits

“Mary wasn't about to dose out just a little portion of the ointment for Jesus. She was not giving a certain allotment to him for this evening. She wasn't trying to fulfill or limit it to some quota. She wasn't worried about teaspoons or tablespoons, cups, or or degrees, or how long she needed to be there. No. The only measurement that Mary was worried about involved having no limitations and no moderation to the worship that she was bringing to Jesus that evening.”

37s

#PreserveTheAnointing

“The alabaster box would have preserved the potency of whatever medicine it contained. It preserved the aromatic fragrance of that perfume. It preserved the purity of the healing balm. It preserved the power of the healing agent that was there inside that container. Alabaster protected and secured and maintained its charge. Nothing leaks in or out of that box of alabaster. Between the medicine that the box contained and the disease was the alabaster.”

32s

#WorshipWithoutMeasure

“But Mary didn't manage her worship. She she didn't worry about what it looked like. She didn't worry about who else was in the room. She didn't worry about who was watching. She didn't worry about if it was an interruption, what was going on in the evening's dinner. No. She just worshiped. And that Shunammite woman, she didn't measure her hunger, her desire. She didn't limit what means to an end she would use to make room for the man of God in their home.”

26s

#StrikeUntilVictory

“He said, if only you would have struck the ground a few more times, why did you stop only three ways into it if you would have just kept hitting the ground, if you'd taken the restraints off, if if you hadn't given up too quickly, then you would have struck the ground long enough in enough times that you would have completely destroyed the Syrian army that comes against you.”

30s

#RememberGodsGoodness

“There are some memorials that are worth building so that way we can go back and revisit them when we need a reminder of all of the things that god has already done for us. I I've had some good days. I've had lots of good days And I've had a few bad days too. Maybe even one or two this week. Yeah. But I'm thankful that I can go back and I can look at all of the goodness of god in my life. Amen. And like brother Johnson used to say, all of the good days outweigh my bad days.”

42s

#MakeRoomForTheLord

“This Shunammite woman had thought about what the man would need before he ever even arrived. She prepared a place for the man of God who brought the word of God before she ever knew if he would even show up or not. Right. Amen. This is desire. She wanted so badly to have a word from the Lord and to have the a message from the Lord brought into her home. She wanted so badly for that man of god, Elisha, to bring the presence of the lord with her into her home that she desired and made him a room.”

25s

#ArrowOfVictory

“Elisha presents the king of Israel, Joash, with a very unique and an unparalleled opportunity. Take your weapon. Take the bows and arrows that you have used to defend your homeland. And however many times you strike the ground with these arrows, that'll be the number of times that you will defeat Syria.”

43s

#HoldToGodInLoss

30s

34s

84s

“Eventually, the day came where that Shunammite woman, like all of us, trouble crossed her doorstep, and her son died there in her arms. This woman who had made a home for the lord, a room and wall for the man of god. Her son died there in her arms. And when that trouble came, she didn't run from god. She didn't begin to question his goodness or throw her hands up and say, why me, god? Although, I I can't fault anybody that would in those circumstances. But what she did do is take her dead son and laid him in the bed of the man of god, and she saddled the donkey, and she went to find Elisha. Second Kings four and twenty four, she tells that donkey and the rider, drive and go forth. Slack not thy driving for me. This woman had built the room in a season of peace. And when the season of trouble, when the crisis came, she already knew where to go.”

Ask a question about this sermon

First UPC of Quitman, Mississippi This sermon · AI assistant

What does the alabaster box represent spiritually

Why is unrestrained worship considered the good part

How does building a room express spiritual priority

The Alabaster Box | Pastor Corbin Kill | Sunday, May 10th, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Breaking the Stone Casket

Day 2: Building the Prophet’s Chamber

Day 3: Three Strikes and Stopped

Day 4: Between the Ointment and the Wound

Day 5: The House Filled with Fragrance

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

The Alabaster Box | Pastor Corbin Kill | Sunday, May 10th, 2026

Share