Here we take a look at the Gospel of Luke 10:38-42
Jesus visits Martha and Mary.
38 Now as they went on their way, he entered a village; and a woman named Martha received him into her house.
39 And she had a sister called
We read this part of the Gospel to understand ONE thing from v39... Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. Sitting at the Lord's feet, is a privilege and Mary knew that from the many lessons she learned from Jesus.
SECOND thing we learn from v40...
40 But Martha was distracted with much serving; and she went to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.”
V40 says Martha was distracted, but she was also attentive only not as attentive as Mary was. For listen to what Jesus says,
41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things;
What is it Martha is anxious about, obviously in this passage it refers to being alone to cook and serve. But here Jesus tells her and all of us, one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken from her.
42 one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her.”
Martha was distracted with cooking and serving, she missed sitting at the feet of Jssus.
When i say that Martha is attentive is based on what the Gospel of John mentions:-
25 Jesus said to her (Martha), “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, he who is coming into the world.” John 11:25-27
The Lord asks Martha and this kind of reply from Martha, only comes from listening completely to the Lord - “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God,
When Mary sits at the feet of the Lord, she is in complete worship of the Lord. There is undivided attention. It is complete reverent worship knowing she is in the presence of God-Himself.
Therefore Jesus says in V42: one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her.
When Martha knows, Mary knows too that Jesus is the Son of God. Mary knows of the impending Crucifixion.
So, before the Crucifixion of Jesus, Mary comes with the costly ointment of pure nard and pours it on the head and wipes the feet of Jesus. She expresses her pain through a perfect sacrifice of sitting at the feet of Jesus and wiping His feet with her hair.
Do you feel the pain in the heart of Mary?
Mary took a pound of costly ointment of pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment. John 12:3
Mary is the sister of both Martha and (Lazarus-he who had been raised from the dead by Jesus).
It was Jesus’ miracle of raising up Lazarus that got the religious authorities plotting against Jesus - to kill Jesus. They also planned to put Lazarus to death because so many believed in Jesus because of Lazarus.
Passover was 6 days away and orders had been given by the religious authorities to arrest Jesus.
Jesus comes to Bethany, to the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus.
Mary is expressing her great love for Jesus by anointing His feet with expensive perfume and wiping them dry with her hair.
Mary knows this would be the last time she could be at the feet of Jesus. Even though the disciples are indignant and saying things, there is no response in record from Mary.
She is in the presence of the Lord and in total reverent worship. She is in prayer. No point of distraction.
Martha was cooking and serving the people who had come to her place.
Martha heard Jesus, but she missed on sitting in the presence of the Lord in reverent worship.
When Mary, anointed the Lord, she was in complete awe as she worshipped God in totality.
Jesus says in Matthew 26:10 - For she has done a beautiful thing to me.
and in Matthew 26:13 - Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”
But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was to betray him), said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” John 12:4-5
Jesus accepts Mary’ Gift because He knew the meaning of Mary’s act. Our Lord knew what Mary was pouring upon Him wasn’t just perfume. It was a complete expression of love that was fully rooted in love.
Her pouring out the perfume was the only way to express her love to the fullest holding nothing back. It was Mary' outpouring of love.
John 12:3 -and the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment.
The house was filled with love-with reverent worship and the fragrance was sweet.
Jesus had filled the lives (of Mary, Martha and John) with the Love and knowledge of God. Their Home was a Heaven with Jesus in it. Jesus was the fragrance. And pouring on Jesus the perfume of their lives was letting Jesus know how much and how fully Jesus had filled their lives.
We observe how deeply Mary loves Jesus; we observe that Jesus readily receives that from her.
Why did Paul put up with hardship: with three times being shipwrecked, being adrift at sea for a day and a half, with imprisonment, beatings, stoning, hunger, thirst.
Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Philippians 3:8
Mary and the Apostle Paul each witness in their own way that the value of knowing Jesus is beyond any scale we have to measure.
Judas saw Jesus as his ticket to power and prestige. His understanding was when the Messiah would use His power to takeover, he-Judas, would be a key figure in the new order of things.
Mary seems to be aware of Jesus’s prediction that He has come to Jerusalem to die. She anoints Him for Death, says Jesus in His words.
Jesus said, “Let her alone, let her keep it for the day of my burial. John 12:7
She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burying. Mark 14:8
Conclusion: When we come before the Lord, we too must be like Mary, in total worship and Praise of the Lord. We must know in Whose presence we are.
We fail miserably, because we let ourselves get carried away.
Most of the time you will see people come in just 2 minutes before the celebration of the mass can begin or just in time. It is another thing when people come in late. Is this perfect worship. No!
At the celebration of the mass, at the Eucharistic Adoration, Jesus is completely present.
This is my point of view, that when we come in Holy Adoration (Eucharistic Adoration), there must be a time when we just sit in the presence of the Lord. We must allow ourselves to be in conversation with our Lord. And with time, we will be able to listen and recognize our Lords voice.
The Lord waits for each one of us, question is how do you present yourself?
But the really sad thing is, during Eucharistic Adoration, people have made it a habit as such to have someone come up and speak. We want someone to talk to us. We do not want to take the time to sit in silence and be able to listen to Jesus. And say if a person does so, then they expect to hear Jesus immediately. Considering how one lives one's life, that will take time.
During the Eucharistic Adoration, people mostly focus on the speaker. If the speaker is a Priest, then it is GOOD!
But if a lay person, then it is a distraction because one's focus becomes the person. And that is no WORSHIP OF GOD!
REMEMBER-REMEMBER: Mary walks humbly into a gathering of people and begins pouring what was probably the most precious thing she owned, all over Jesus. Because from her view, she could only see Jesus and knowing the pain of not having to see Him, made every moment with Jesus even more precious.
The only way to have confidently given such a gift and in this manner without worrying about anyone meant, Mary knew the surpassing worth of knowing Christ.
A Sacrifice of Love-an awe filled reverent worship, is offered to Jesus and the fragrance of which is most acceptable to God.
Thank You, Abba Father.
Thank You, Jesus.
Thank You, Holy Spirit.
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