John 12:1-8

John 12:1-8 - Daily Devotion - 18 August 2026 St Barnabas Anglican Church Fairfield & Bossley Park 1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, the hometown of Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. 2 So they hosted a dinner for Jesus there. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with Him. 3 Then Mary took about a pint of expensive perfume, made of pure nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.4 But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was going to betray Him, asked, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” 6 Judas did not say this because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief. As keeper of the money bag, he used to take from what was put into it.7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “She has kept this perfume in preparation for the day of My burial. 8 The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have Me.”REFLECTIONSWritten by Rebecca MihasWhen I read this passage, I was really encouraged by Mary's love for Jesus. She poured expensive perfume on His feet and wiped them with her hair. She wasn't worried about how much it cost or what other people thought. She just wanted to honour Jesus and show Him how much she loved Him.This passage made me stop and think about my own relationship with Jesus. Life can become so busy with work, family, church, and everyday responsibilities that it is easy to focus on everything that needs to be done. Sometimes I can become so busy doing things that I forget to just spend time with Jesus. Mary's example reminds me that nothing is more important than sitting at His feet and making Him my first priority.Judas saw Mary's gift as a waste, but Jesus saw it as an act of love. This reminds me that God looks at our hearts. He knows why we do the things we do, even when others don't understand. It challenges me to ask myself if I am giving Jesus my best, or only what is left over after everything else.This passage reminds me that every day is an opportunity to spend time with Jesus, trust Him, and grow closer to Him. I don't want to let the busyness of life distract me from what matters most.My prayer is that I will have a heart like Mary's that loves Jesus deeply and puts Him first. I want my life to honour Him in the way I speak, the way I treat others, and the choices I make each day. I also pray that, as a church family, we will continue to encourage one another to keep our eyes on Jesus and grow closer to Him every day. ABOUT THE AUTHORRebecca is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.