Too Much: Costly Devotion & Quiet Courage

📖“Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head.” — Mark 14:3b, NKJV

⭐Costly Devotion

When Jesus sat in Simon’s home, a woman entered carrying an alabaster jar filled with pure nard — a perfume normally reserved for life’s most sacred moments (Mark 14:3–9). Instead of opening it carefully, she broke it. That single action said everything: this wasn’t a sample, a portion, or a cautious offering. It was a once‑for‑all expression of devotion that couldn’t be taken back or repackaged.

Imagine the sudden burst of fragrance filling the room — impossible to ignore, impossible to contain. For a moment, it must have felt like time paused — the kind of silence that falls when something sacred is happening right in front of you.  

The people around her saw loss. Jesus saw love. While the room whispered about the price, she focused on the Person. Her act wasn’t about impressing anyone; it was about honoring the One she recognized as worthy. Jesus defended her because He saw the intention behind her act — a sincere, timely expression of love that wasn’t shaped by public opinion or practicality. While others measured the cost, He recognized the heart. Her devotion aligned with what He was preparing to face, and He honored her for responding to Him with a boldness that came from understanding, not from seeking approval.

⭐Quiet Courage

Many of us know what it feels like to hold back because we don’t want to look dramatic or overly spiritual. We’ve learned to keep our faith tidy so we don’t draw unwanted attention. That pressure can shrink our devotion into something polite instead of something honest.

I remember when my daughter chose to sit with a student who always sat alone.  She risked the 'weirdness' of the silence to offer a simple "Hello". That was the Alabaster Jar in the cafeteria of a high school. She didn’t make an announcement; she simply broke the seal of her own social comfort. There was no reward, just a small act of surrender that cost her comfort but gave someone else a sense of belonging. As noted in the Gospel of John, true fruitfulness only happens when we remain connected to the Vine, moving past our need for public approval (John 15:4-5).

⭐Breaking the Seal

Think about the thing you’ve been protecting — your time, your comfort, your reputation, or a resource you’ve been saving for “later.” Choose one of those things and release it today. Give something away you planned to keep. Offer time you didn’t think you had. Speak when silence feels safer. Let your devotion show up in action, not just intention.

⭐Reflection Questions

• What part of your life feels “sealed off” because giving it to God feels like too much

• When have you chosen to look reasonable instead of being sincere

• Are you living more in productivity (tasks) or fruitfulness (connection with Jesus)

• What “unproductive” act of love might Jesus call beautiful in your life

• How can you choose presence over projects this week

📖“Therefore, I urge you… to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” — Romans 12:1, NIV

Lord, loosen my grip on the things I protect out of fear. Free me from worrying about how my devotion looks to others. Teach me to pour out what You’ve placed in me with courage and sincerity. Let my life carry the fragrance of Your mercy everywhere I go. Amen.

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Scripture quotations are used with permission. Full translation credits are available on our Bible Reference Page.