MonroeOHUMC

  Wednesday, April 9, 2025 Scripture: John 12:4–6 Devotion: Judas criticizes Mary’s generosity. “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor?” But John notes his motives weren’t pure—he didn’t care about the poor, he was looking out for himself. Sometimes critiques of the church come from genuine places. Sometimes they come from fear, envy, or self-interest. Either way, Jesus doesn’t let criticism derail love. He defends Mary’s act and affirms her place in the story. Church can be different when it resists the temptation to perform or to please every voice. It can be a place of honesty, where both motives and actions are examined in light of love—not efficiency, power, or appearances. Action Steps: Reflect: Where in your life is fear disguised as criticism or judgment? Name it gently. Offer encouragement to someone who’s doing something bold or different, even if you don’t fully understand it. Choose to listen to someon...

Sunday, April 6, 2025 Scripture: John 12:1–8 Devotion: Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrives in Bethany. A dinner is held in His honor, and Mary does something unexpected. She pours out expensive perfume—worth a year’s wages—on His feet and wipes them with her hair. It’s an extravagant act of devotion that others criticize as wasteful. But Jesus receives her offering as beautiful. What looks like excess to some is, in His eyes, the natural response of love. Mary is doing more than an act of kindness—she is preparing Him for burial, though she may not fully realize it. She chooses presence over practicality, love over logic. This moment invites us to ask: What if the church looked more like this? A place where love was poured out freely, where people were honored, and where no offering of the heart was considered too much? Mary's worship was not in a temple—it was in a home, around a meal, in a moment of intimacy. Action Steps: Reflect: When have you felt safe enough...