“But the Lord said to her, ‘My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41-42 NLT)
In your mind what is the most important thing you do for God? Live a moral life? Be a good steward of the resources you’ve been given? Read and study the Bible? Pray? Attend church? Serve in or outside the church? Love your family? Witness to others about your faith in Jesus?
For Mary it was to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to Him. The term “worship” is derived from a word that means “to kiss a hand,” and the picture it paints is of a dog licking his master’s hand. Strong’s says: “in the NT by kneeling or prostration to do homage (to one) or make obeisance, whether in order to express respect or to make supplication.”
Worship isn’t only singing or listening to a sermon, it’s an attitude of our heart that renders preference to another’s needs or desires in favor of our own. The question I’ve sometimes asked in reference to the story of Mary and Martha is, who would prepare the meal and prepare the table if both chose to sit at Jesus’ feet? I’m confident that was the question that stirred in Martha’s mind. And I believe it’s a legitimate question.
Jesus and His disciples were on their way to Jerusalem and had been invited by Martha to come in to rest on their journey. Custom would dictate that the host family, if able, would provide a meal and lodging, thus the frenzy Martha was in. She was likely the older and felt an obligation to carry out her duty as a hostess, but given the number of guests, she was counting on Mary to pitch in.
Martha’s question is fair on many levels, and Jesus didn’t discount what she was doing, He simply stated the priority is what Mary chose. How does that relate to us. There is a sense in which everything we do should be done as an act of worship. Paul wrote in Colossians 3:23: “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.”
As I understand what Jesus said to Martha, it wasn’t so much what she was doing, but her frenzied attitude that was the issue. We can worship at Jesus’ feet peeling potatoes as easily as we can sitting in church. It’s not the posture of our body alone that determines the outcome of our worship, it’s the attitude of our heart. It’s not so much what we’re doing as why we’re doing it.
Like Martha, James and John weren’t thinking of Jesus as much as themselves when they asked if they could sit on His right and left sides in the Kingdom. F.B. Meyer wrote: “Lord, I cannot hope to sit on your right or your left in your kingdom, but permit me to sit at your feet and hear your Word.”
Where do you want to sit in God’s Kingdom? Personally, I’ve never given that much thought. In the early years of my walk with the Lord we used to sing more songs about heaven. There were some that talked about our “mansions” in heaven, but to me I’d be perfectly content with a puptent just inside the furthest border of heaven, as long as I can worship at the feet of my Savior.
In my mind’s eye I imagine if Martha had asked Jesus early on, He would have said, “Come and sit with Me. There are things I’d like to share with you. We can eat later. We’ll all pitch in, but for now, I’d love it if you’d just spend time with Me.”
That’s where I want to be when I get to heaven. Sitting at His feet, soaking in His every word. And I pray it will feel very familiar, as I make that a daily habit while I’m still here on earth.
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 