The Breaking of the Alabaster Flask to Release of Christ’s Frangrance for the Body

All the believers in Christ contain Christ as the costly pure nard, the pure ointment in our alabaster flask; in order for Christ to come forth and flow for the whole house to be filled with the fragrance, there is the need for the breaking of the outer man. We are vessels containing a priceless treasure, and for this treasure to be seen and manifested in us the outer man needs to be broken.

May we be the ones who do not treasure the alabaster flask more than the pure nard within, and may we not pay attention more to the vessel than to the treasure in the vessel. When the earthen vessel is broken, the pure nard can flow forth for God’s glory and the treasure can be seen. Unless the vessel is broken, the nard cannot come forth.

In order for God to build Himself in Christ into our being, the outer man needs to be broken. In order for us to be built up with others and fitted with the saints into the house of God we need to be broken. We do not need to ask God for more breaking; we need to ask Him to strengthen us into our inner man with power so that we may allow Christ to make His home in our heart through faith, and when the breaking comes, we simply need to be open to the Lord.

The only way we can have the church life in reality is when our outer man is broken so that Christ may flow forth as the pure fragrance. When we see the vision of the Body we will realize that the only way for us to be built up with the saints in the Body of Christ is by being broken.

Because He loves us, He chose us, He called us, He deals with us, and He breaks us. Because we love Him, we repent, we turn our heart to Him, we are being dealt with by Him, and in love we break our flask of alabaster to allow Christ as the pure nard to flow forth.

The Vessel Needs to be Broken for the Pure Nard to Flow and Fill the House with Fragrance

In Mark 14 and Matt. 26 we see a story of a woman who loved the Lord so much that she broke the alabaster flask containing the pure nard and poured the ointment on the Lord. She “wasted” a very valuable pure nard on the Lord.

In Mark 14:3 and Matt. 26:7 this nard is pure, valuable, precious, and fragrant, and the vessel is a flask of alabaster. As believers in Christ, we are a flask of alabaster containing Christ as the pure nard. But unless the alabaster flask is broken, the ointment of pure nard cannot be released.

Many believers consider their alabaster flask is very valuable, considering their own wisdom, eloquence, ability, discernment, or judgement being very good, and they are not willing to allow the Lord to break the outer man so that the fragrant pure nard would flow forth.

May we not be “antique collectors” or “admirers of alabaster flasks” but those who love the Lord and allow Him to break the flask of ointment so that the pure nard may be released and that the house may be filled with the fragrance of the ointment (John 12:3). May the Lord be no longer confined or imprisoned in us but be released and expressed.

The story of the breaking of the alabaster flask of ointment is a story of love: because we love the Lord and consider Him more precious than anything, we break the alabaster flask for Him. We need the breaking of the outer man so that the valuable fragrance within us may be released.

We have a treasure in our earthen vessels, and when the outer man is broken, the treasure is manifested – and the excellency of power is of God and not out of us. The more there is the breaking, the more there is the opportunity for the ointment to be released and for the treasure to be manifested.

When Christ is released, the house is filled with the fragrance of the ointment and the whole atmosphere is filled with Christ. We should not be protective of ourselves, regarding the flask more precious than the ointment; we should not consider our outer man more precious than our inner man.

The Lord is working in many ways to break the outward man, but we need to love Him and open to Him, allowing Him to break us so that Christ may flow out of us and for all to smell and be filled with the fragrance of the precious Christ within.

Lord Jesus, we want You to be released through us! Save us from loving the alabaster flask more than the pure nard within. Be released through us so that everyone may smell Christ, enjoy Christ, and be filled with the fragrant Christ! Lord, may we not value the earthen vessel more than the precious treasure within. Oh Lord, make us open to You as You work through all things to break our outer man!

Experiencing the Breaking of the Outer Man for the Building up of the Body

God’s work of building Himself in Christ into us requires the breaking of the outer man (Eph. 3:16-17a). Breaking is a prerequisite for building. (Quote from, Witness Lee)

In order for God to build Himself in Christ into our being, our outer man needs to be broken (see Eph. 3:16-17). Breaking is a prerequisite for the building up of the Body. We are built with others in spirit, and when we exercise our spirit and the Lord from within us flows freely among us, we are built up together.

The value and goal of the breaking is the building. In order for the church to be built up, we need to experience the breaking of the outer man (Eph. 2:21-22). We need to be fitted together and knit together, and this requires that we are open to the Lord’s constant dealing, allowing Him to break us so that He would saturate and permeate us to become the buildable One within us with those around us.

The goal of the breaking is the building up of the Body of Christ; if we would be coordinated with others in service, we need to be willing to be broken. If we are “whole”, not allowing the Lord to break us, it is impossible to be built up or to coordinate with others. Without brokenness our proper coordination is impossible.

When Paul saw the vision of the Body, he allowed God to break him and make him buildable in the Body with the saints. Like Paul, we need to be broken under the vision of the Body and realize that the ONLY way for us to be built up in the Body is to be broken (see Acts 9:1-31; Eph. 4:16).

In order for the church to be built up, everything natural in us needs to be broken. Whether it is our ability, our discernment, our zeal, or our desire to do things for God, if they are not broken and brought forth in resurrection, they are a hindrance for the building up of the Body.

If we don’t realize in experience the breaking of the outer man, we will not have a real church life. We may meet with others and “go through the motions” of the things in the church life, but we will not be built up with the saints in a real way.

But when we see the vision of the Body, our natural man and our self-will be broken, and we can be built up with others. We will realize the need for blending: doing everything through the cross and by the Spirit in order to minister Christ to the others, caring for the building up of the Body of Christ more than for anything else.

May we be those who live out the testimony of loving the Lord, allowing Him to deal with us in love, break us in love, and build us up in love!

Hallelujah, we are chosen in love, God deals with us in love, we are broken for the release and testimony of the One who is love, and we allow the Lord to transform us for His Body, His house, His bride, consummating in the New Jerusalem, the consummation of the divine romance!

Lord Jesus, we love You! Save us from our individual spirituality. We don’t want to be spiritual in an individual way apart from the Body. May we learn the lesson of being broken so that we would coordinate with others and blended with the saints. Lord, we open to You in love. Cause us to learn to serve in a coordinated way in the Body so that You may have a testimony of love in the church life. Show us the vision of the Body of Christ. Show us our crucial need for blending. Lord, gain what You are after, the testimony and expression of the precious and fragrant Christ!

References and Hymns on this Topic

• Inspiration: the Word of God, my Christian experience, bro. Dick Taylor’s sharing in the message for this week, and portions from, The Breaking of the Outer Man and the Release of the Spirit, chs. 1-2, 5-6 (by Watchman Nee), as quoted in, the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, Crystallization-Study of Genesis (3), week 2 / msg 2, Chosen, Dealt with, and Broken.
• Hymns on this topic:
  # Precious Lord, my flask of alabaster / Gladly now I break in love for Thee; / I anoint Thy head, Beloved Master; / Lord, behold, I’ve saved the best for Thee. / Dearest Lord, I waste myself upon Thee; / Loving Thee, I’m deeply satisfied. / Love outpoured from hidden depths within me, / Costly oil, dear Lord, I would provide. (Hymns #1159, stanza 3)
  # Mary poured out her love offering / To many such love was a waste. / Throughout all of the centuries / Such lovers Your sweetness do taste. / Precious lives and heart treasures, too / Positions and golden futures, / Have been “wasted” on You, Lord; / Your sweetness a fragrance so sure. / She took opportunity / To love You; Lord, with her best. / Like her, Lord, I too would pour / My love and all that I have. (Song on Loving the Lord)
  # My Beloved, come on spices’ mountain; / How I yearn to see Thee face to face. / Drink, dear Lord, from my heart’s flowing fountain, / Till I rest fore’er in Thine embrace. / Not alone, O Lord, do I adore Thee, / But with all the saints as Thy dear Bride; / Quickly come, our love is waiting for Thee; / Jesus Lord, Thou wilt be satisfied. (Hymns #1159, stanza 4)