You remember the story. Jesus came to visit His dear friends -- Lazarus, and and his sisters, Mary and Martha. Martha went about her important hospitality job, but foolish Mary simply sat at Jesus's feet. Martha complained. "Tell her to help me." Remember Jesus's reply? "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:41-42). The practical folk scratch their heads a little -- "But ... how will we eat ...?" -- but, you get the idea. It's important to sit at Jesus's feet.
I wonder, though, if we really hear what Jesus said. "Mary," He said, "had chosen a good portion." Yes, we got that. But look at what He said before. Martha was concerned about "many things." Frankly, much like all of us. Then He said, "But one thing is necessary." Wait ... what? Only one thing is necessary? That's what He said. And, in all honesty, most of us don't buy it. We have a whole lot of important, necessary things going on. Which should indicate a problem.
Jesus said, "One thing is necessary." That was, in Mary's case, sitting at Jesus's feet. Of course, it's figurative of a lifestyle. Are we "sitting at Jesus's feet," learning, when we're driving to work? Or sitting in church? Or talking to our spouse? Or making dinner? Or ...? Martha, in our example story, had the capacity to serve and sit at Jesus's feet in this sense. She opted to only serve. But the only thing that is important is being in the presence of Christ, waiting, expectant, listening, obeying. It is a lifestyle. And it is the only necessary thing.
6 comments:
Not denying the conclusion, we are to sit figuratively at the feet of Jesus, but is this event specifically telling us this? Mary had the opportunity to literally sit at His feet, that we simply can't do yet.
I thought my point was that we can do that every day. We can live our lives in the presence of Christ on a day-by-day, minute-by-minute way. Did that not come through? I don't think Jesus's point was, "Mary was wise not to do dishes, but to sit in this physical location at My feet."
Through leading a book study many years ago on “Heaving a Mary Heart in a Martha World” by Joanna Weaver (as well as her follow-up, “Having a Mary Spirit”), I took an in-depth look at this short narrative about contrasting sisters and emerged with very helpful lessons learned. Both men and women have full workloads that can distract from pursuing spiritual growth, as we struggle to balance duty and devotion. God has the same priorities in mind for me, as a woman, as for a man--to “sit at Jesus’s feet” and to learn from and fellowship with Him. Essentially, Mary and Martha displayed different kinds of hearts; the heart that is centered on Christ alone is the right kind--and will enjoy the good portion.
We can't literally sit at Jesus' feet and listen to Him teach as Mary did. We can and should figuratively, I agree.
It does seem that Mary had an opportunity given to a very few individuals throughout history, to literally sit in Jesus presence and listen to Him teach. While we do have the ability to have a similar experience, I'm not sure it's enough to fully justify your conclusions. We do have the Holy Spirit and the scriptures which allow us to experience the presence and teaching of Jesus/YHWH is ways the disciples did not, but I'm not sure it's the same.
Craig, your comment brought to my mind the multitudes of people that gathered to hear Jesus speak on many occasions during His earthly ministry, as recorded in the New Testament Gospels. Thousands of individuals sat at His feet en masse and listened to His teachings, took them to heart, and became His followers. We follow in their footsteps (figuratively) as they sat at His feet (literally). Indeed, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus had the special opportunity of more intimate fellowship with Him, and we have that now through the Holy Spirit.
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