Luke 10:38b-42 " and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. And she had a sister called Mary, who moreover, was listening to the Lord's word, seated at His feet. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him , and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me." But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only a few things are necessary, really only one, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her." "
It is so easy to be busy doing what we think is important. Feeding our families, washing their clothes. Teaching Sunday school, being about our Father's business. After all we ARE to occupy until He returns... doesn't that mean constantly doing ministry? In our results oriented culture we forget that sometimes just being is all Jesus wants. Just sitting at His feet, soaking up His presence. Why is it so hard?
I look at that position, it involves humility. We are at His feet, we are invisible to most others, and possibly thought less of by others, but, we are looking up to Jesus, looking into His face. What joy! As I sit at Jesus' feet, I recognize He is Lord. Not just my Lord, but Lord over all, in command of all, even those who may be my enemies. All those other voices calling me to 'get busy and do' become dim as I look at Him. When I am at His feet I see myself in proper perspective to Jesus. I am at His feet to worship and adore Him, to soak in who He is, to just be near Him as much as I can.
Sitting at His feet involves protection. There will always be those who think I should be doing more, even if it is the voice in my own head that says I am useless at Jesus' feet. But Jesus answers the critics and accusers- it is not my job to answer or defend myself. To those who want me caught up in ministry or work, Jesus says," You worry about so many things...". Sitting at the feet of Jesus protects me from worry. I am doing what He wants me to do, so I am free from unnecessary cares. Being at His feet protects me from burn out and complaining. As I sit at His feet He shows me what is most important. Then He enables me to do it and it is easy and fun! And He looks at me and says I have chosen the good part. I didn't realize it was good, I just thought it was all I could do.
When I give out of myself what I give is limited and selfish. When I give from having been at the feet of Jesus what I give brings life. Sitting at His feet opens my eyes to trust Him...He could provide the meal, no sweat! It opens my eyes to possibilities I wouldn't have thought of otherwise. Sitting at His feet brings Jesus pleasure, and when He is pleased He overflows me with His joy.
Even though I come to worship and bless Him, I get more than anything when I sit at His feet. So is it selfish to be in that spot? Never, it is an acknowledgement of His sovereignty and Lordship. It puts Him where He should be in my life... above all else. It keeps me where I can give out of the overflow. Ministering to Jesus should always be my first priority, even if that is all I do.
Sitting at Jesus feet keeps me from distraction. I am more focused on His word and not pulled away by other things. It protects me from bad attitudes and emotional difficulties. When distracted I am easier prey for the lies of the enemy. Some that show up in Martha are: God doesn't care, self-pity, anger, it's not fair, and pride (giving God orders). She felt abandoned by her sister in a time of need, she was serving Jesus and maybe feeling a little self- righteous. According to her, Mary's place was in the kitchen. Martha had wrong expectations, it is easy to become overburdened and burned out with those! Jesus, in His great love for Martha reminds her to look at what matters. The root was her distraction from Him to do for Him. Sitting at His feet returns us to Him.
Lord, Mary chose the necessary, help me to see what is necessary. I, too, get distracted by so many things... and then I begin to think they are what is important. And my focus shifts, my energy is drained, my time with Jesus interrupted and shortened because I am working so hard on the temporal I forget the eternal. And I get cranky (just like Martha), my focus is self ~ not Jesus. What Martha was doing for Jesus became more important than Jesus! Sometimes our service, intended to honor Jesus , winds up becoming a production that honors self or our group. And we find we are distracted and looking for others to praise us for our hard work, because Jesus isn't. Why? We have missed the sitting at His feet ~ the good part. Lord, help me, help us, as Your children, to choose the good part, as Mary, undistracted, totally focused on You.
The needs of others never stop. We can always be busy with necessary things. Yet the break that we need is one of sitting at the feet of Jesus. Time with Jesus is a time of refreshing and renewing. He, our Lord and Master has made a feast for us from His Word and He is so gentle as He says, "Come and eat your fill."
I think of a song from many years ago, "Lord I only want to bless you while I'm sitting at Your feet, Nothing in this world can woo me from this blessed holy seat. All that I can do is thank You, all that I can do is praise, all that I can do is lift my hands and sing Your praise."
What woos me from that blessed place? from just sitting at His feet?
Lord, keep us looking at Your face, sitting at Your feet, hungry for Your word. Free from distraction, worries and cares, free from wrong expectations and pride. Refresh and renew us with Yourself. Give us a heart of worship and praise flowing from a heart for You. May God bless each of us with a time just to bask in His presence, to sit at His feet.
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