How many of us feel we are like Martha, though we want to be more like Mary and sit at the feet of Jesus? Most of us are workers at heart, but sometimes we need to train ourselves to stop and bask in God's glory for us to become worshipers like Mary. This takes time and discipline. If not for you, it did for me.
I love the story of this little family that Jesus treasured in Luke 10:38-42. Both of these women knew who Jesus was. Martha is a worker. She comes across as a strong-willed person; if you have something that needs to be done, she would be who you would go to. Mary is a worshiper in every scripture we read about her; she's sitting at the feet of Jesus. In John 11:32, after Lazarus died, Mary fell at the feet of Jesus. In John 12:3, she sat at the feet of Jesus and poured perfume on his feet while wiping them with her hair. And in our scripture today, Luke 10:39, she is sitting at the feet of Jesus, soaking up every word He said. If you think about it, she may have had a front-row seat listening to Jesus in what I'm sure was the first Bible study held in Martha's home. They were all really good friends with Jesus. He went to their home to relax and chat with them. I can only imagine the conversations that went on in that house.
Martha seems more relatable to me; she's like many of us. She's strong-willed and bold. She confronted Jesus when Mary wasn't helping her in the kitchen. She spoke up when she felt it needed attention. Mary even questioned Jesus when Lazarus died. She felt like he had abandoned them. It says in John 11:21-27, "Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now, God will give you whatever you ask." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die, and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this? "Yes, Lord," she replied, "I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world." Maybe Martha needed a little more time at the feet of Jesus to really know who her friend Jesus was and who she was really talking to.
But aren't we all a little like that? Don't we all question Jesus for how things work out sometimes? I don't know about you, but life never works out the way I plan it; it works out the way God intends it to be. It's all in His timing, not ours. We all will have ups and downs, but how we handle those situations will define who we are in Christ.
I know my outlook on life has changed since I have adopted this new way of relating to God. It's a new mindset for me. I realized a while ago that although I've experienced some hard times and disappointments, I've never been happier. Sitting at the feet of Jesus is spending time with Him, reading His love letters to us in his Word. Thinking about them and discerning them brings us even closer to him. Don't miss the opportunity like Martha did and miss out on the personal relationship you can have with him today. Sit at his feet and breathe it all in.
Let's pray:
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for this glorious day Lord. Thank you for showing us in your Word how much you love us and want to spend time with us. With your Word, Lord, we can learn more about you and what you want for our lives, and the directions you see for us. Thank you, Lord, for always being there for us. In Jesus Holy name we pray. Amen.
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