Today, my light bulb/Aha! moment revolved around the realization that,
when Jesus was in the home of Martha and Mary, his ministry to Martha's anxious
and troubled heart was just as significant as his ministry to Mary as she sat
at Jesus' feet listening to his teaching. Here is the Bible’s account of this
experience.
Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his
teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And
she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me
to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “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.”[1]
I
have only thought of this passage as a contrast between Mary's choice to be
quiet in Jesus' presence, and Martha's choice to be preoccupied with service. I
had never considered that Jesus' presence in that home was exactly what both
women needed. They both got from Jesus the very best thing they could have
received for where they were starting.
Jesus
said that he was always doing what the Father was doing.[2] He
was able to see what work God was doing in both these women, and he knew what
his Father was doing in all the disciples who had gathered in that place at
that time. Jesus was in fellowship with the Father, joining his work,
accomplishing all that the Father had sent him to do,[3]
and that involved taking care of two sisters with diverse thoughts about how to
relate to him when he visited in their home.
It
is not difficult to see Jesus’ ministry to Mary. Mary “sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching.” What a
wonderful experience that would have been. There was no need to go to a
commentary, look up word-meanings, or sift through interpretations. Mary just
sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to him. She received his teaching. The benefit to
her was indisputable. The experience of Jesus doing something in her life was
remarkable. The grace of God had grabbed her attention, and she rested in the
presence of her Savior, receiving what he was giving her.
On
the other hand, we learn from Jesus’ words to Martha what ministry Martha needed
from him that was just as important as the ministry Mary had received. Martha
needed to know Jesus’ view of what was going on with her. Martha’s view was
that Mary had left her to do all the serving alone. Martha saw the problem as too
much serving and a selfish little sister who wouldn’t help out. She saw the
solution as Jesus telling Mary to help her.
Jesus
tells Martha that his view of what is wrong was quite different. The problem was
not that there was so much work to do, and that Mary was distracted from the
work by sitting at Jesus’ feet. Not at all!
Rather,
the problem was that Martha was “anxious
and troubled about many things.” Martha saw the external situation as the
problem, and Jesus could fix that by making Mary behave and do what was
required of her. Jesus saw the internal problem, that Martha could not see how Jesus
could feed people himself, that she thought everything rested on her, and so
she was “anxious” and she was “troubled”.
The
point today is that this identification of Martha’s need is just as important
as Jesus’ work in Mary. The exact thing that Martha needed was to hear Jesus tell
her that she was anxious and troubled about many things. She needed to hear
that Jesus was not affirming her focus on Mary and all the work to do. She
needed to hear Jesus turn things around from her complaining about the
externals to knowing the condition of her own soul.
Martha
also needed to hear Jesus clarify that the thing Mary had chosen to do was the
better thing. However, this was not merely Jesus speaking to Martha about a
better way she could do things another time; this was also Martha’s experience
of Jesus’ speaking to her right then, clarifying what was wrong, addressing
what was right, and encouraging Martha to let her life be transformed through
this renewal of her mind. In the end, Martha had the same, personal, sit-at-Jesus’-feet
experience of listening to his teaching, with the precise words that she
needed.
The
thing that settles into my soul is that it is just as much a work of God to
help someone who is anxious and troubled over many things as it is to minister
to those who want to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to his teaching. Both are
the work of God. If both kinds of people are in a church, both need to hear Jesus’
voice guiding them into his truth, and into his rest.
I wonder if there is some encouragement in this for all of us that, as
some have a testimony of how Jesus ministered to you while you sat at his feet listening
to his teaching, others may need to hear Jesus speaking to your anxious hearts
that are troubled by many things. Even Jesus telling us that our problem is
with our hearts, not with the people and problems making us feel anxious and
troubled, is as much a "word from the Lord" as what others received
sitting at Jesus' feet.
Clearly Jesus doesn't want any of us
remaining in an anxious and troubled condition. However, the way he speaks to
us when we are there is just as important as the way he speaks to us when we
are sitting at his feet in the quietness and peace of his love. In both cases,
listen to Jesus voice, and follow him where he leads.[4]
© 2014 Monte Vigh ~
Box 517, Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com
Unless otherwise
noted, Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible,
English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway
Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.)
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