A New Thing

Sermon April 6, 2025 John 12:1-8 A New Thing

Pastor Fred Okello

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you thought, “If I were in charge, things would be better”?

Perhaps you were watching a game and the players appeared to be making all the wrong decisions; in your head, you were the expert athlete, the ideal coach, the strategist with all the correct solutions... even if you have never set foot on the pitch.

Every one of us experiences this. Judging from the sidelines, to believe that our point of view is the only right one, is human tendency. We criticize, examine, and sometimes ignore others not always because we are correct but rather because our pride tells us we could do better. Scripture, however, warns us that often without humility judgment is blind.

Jesus is at Lazarus' house in John 12:1–8, whom He had resurrected. It is a time of praise, thankfulness, and closeness. Overcome with love and devotion, Mary spills a pricey perfume on Jesus' feet and washes them with her hair. It is a profoundly personal act of worship.

Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus' disciples, disagrees. Why wasn't the money given to the poor from this perfume sold? It was worth a year's pay! One year's salary!

Judas' reasoning seems at first noble: aiding the destitute is obviously more vital than putting perfume on someone's feet. But the Gospel writer gives us insight: Judas didn’t say this because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and he used to help himself to the money bag (v.6).

Jesus answers, “Leave her alone. It was supposed that she should store this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.

Criticism is simple when you are not in the game. Many times, just like Judas, we observe the deeds of others and feel driven to provide a "better" approach. But we forget—we don’t know their inner feelings. We lack knowledge of their narrative. We examine others without ever having stood in their shoes, much as spectators at a game who have never played.
We criticize how someone parents their child until we become parents and realize… it's not that easy. We question how someone worships God or spends their money until we confront the same choices.

Many of us as youngsters held our parents responsible for their decisions. Why didn't you provide me this? or "You were too harsh." But as we grow, we realize they were doing the best they could with what they had. Some of us, as adults, wish we could go back and say, “I didn’t understand then. Please forgive me.”

Judas criticized Mary because he couldn’t comprehend the worth of her worship. Mary, however, grasped something more profound: she was getting Jesus ready for His burial. Her devotion was foretelling. Judas didn't care about the needy; he cared about himself.

Sometimes our criticism is not motivated by care for others. We want power, thus it's. We wish to be correct. We wish to be visible. The whole narrative is seldom on one side. Judas sounded right on the surface. But Jesus saw his heart.
Let us question ourselves: when we judge others, are we coming from a position of love or one of pride?

Mary’s act was lavish. It defied logic. True worship is about love, not reason.
Sometimes worship is pouring all out even when others don't get it. Jesus respected Mary's heart, not Judas' astute remarks.

Friends, be slow to judge. Be fast to grasp. Be modest enough to acknowledge that our views are not necessarily the whole picture. And most all, learn from Mary: when in doubt, choose worship over condemnation. Select love instead of judgment.

Ask yourself today:

• Am I watching from the sidelines or playing with a heart surrendered to God?

• Am I quick to criticize others when I don't know their full story?

• Is my heart filled with humble adoration or self-serving pride?

Let's depart the sidelines. Let us enter the field with grace, humility, and a heart like Mary's.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we have been like Judas, hasty to speak, slow to grasp, and frequently self-serving. Teach us to be like Mary—devoted, sincere, and worshipful. Give us the humility to view others through your eyes and to move off the sidelines of judgment and into the fields of grace. Amen.