In this sermon, we looked at John 12:1-8 when Mary anointed Jesus' feet with expensive burial oil. Just one week before the cross, this was another prophetic moment indicating that Jesus' death was drawing near. Through the unfolding details of the story, we find Judas upset because the perfume wasn’t sold and money given to help the poor. Jesus says that Mary did the right thing because the poor would always be with us. Jesus wasn’t telling His followers to turn a blind eye toward the poor; He was validating Mary's decision to express her devotion to Jesus through a sacrificial act of worship. When we turn our hearts toward Jesus with full devotion, He recalibrates our love for everything and everyone else. When we love Jesus first, we are better able to love not just the poor, but all those around us.
