Knowing God and Being Known
One thing is needed:
Luke 10:38 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” 41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
One thing is necessary above all others: knowing God and being known. Loving Him with all of my mind, soul, and strength. The First Commandment, to have nothing before Him, not even doing things for Him. To not be distracted with anything...even too much serving.
Cain and Able both offered sacrifices to God, but only one was acceptable. The other was actually considered sinful:
Genesis 4:1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord.” 2 Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. 6 So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”
Only God defines what is acceptable to Him. Both brothers offered what they had raised, but only one agreed with God about what it meant to "do well." God is the only judge of what is good and right.
Martha and Mary's story is similar to Cain and Abel's. What seemed right and fair to Martha was not what was considered necessary by Jesus. How much time have I spent building God something only to find out that what is necessary is to spend time at His feet...listening to Him and engaging Him with my heart?
I can leave the story of Martha and Mary thinking she ended up just listening and never actually doing anything, but that isn't her whole story. Mary did one of the greatest acts of service ever recorded in the Bible. Not only was it one of the most significant costly acts ever recorded, it was one of the most perfectly timed efforts of obedience in all of the Gospels. When the time came for Jesus to go to the cross, Mary poured everything she had out on Him. Perfume worth an entire years wages. Her only treasure, her life savings, and all of her financial security was given to Jesus in one perfectly timed extravagant act that He called good. At just the right time, and in just the right way, Mary poured it all out on Jesus:
Matthew 26:7 a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. 8 But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? 9 For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.” 10 But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. 11 For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. 12 For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial. 13 Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”
Many of the disciples that traveled with Jesus, saw the miracles, healed people with Him, and cast out demons had no idea what He was about to go through. They knew that Jesus loved them, and they loved Him, but they didn't take the time to really know what was on His heart. They didn't really take the time to sit at His feet and soak up everything He was saying and what it meant. They knew what Jesus meant to them, but they didn't take the time to find out what they could mean to Jesus. They didn't see how important the anointing Mary offered Jesus was. But Jesus did! Jesus is the only judge of what is good. Because Mary did the one thing necessary...listening to Jesus...knowing Him...before "doing" anything else for Him...she got to know His heart and offer Him everything at the right time in the right way.
I want to be like Mary. Only one thing is needed, and that one thing will lead me deep into the place of giving it all at the right time!
Luke 10:38 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” 41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
One thing is necessary above all others: knowing God and being known. Loving Him with all of my mind, soul, and strength. The First Commandment, to have nothing before Him, not even doing things for Him. To not be distracted with anything...even too much serving.
Cain and Able both offered sacrifices to God, but only one was acceptable. The other was actually considered sinful:
Genesis 4:1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord.” 2 Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. 6 So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”
Only God defines what is acceptable to Him. Both brothers offered what they had raised, but only one agreed with God about what it meant to "do well." God is the only judge of what is good and right.
Martha and Mary's story is similar to Cain and Abel's. What seemed right and fair to Martha was not what was considered necessary by Jesus. How much time have I spent building God something only to find out that what is necessary is to spend time at His feet...listening to Him and engaging Him with my heart?
I can leave the story of Martha and Mary thinking she ended up just listening and never actually doing anything, but that isn't her whole story. Mary did one of the greatest acts of service ever recorded in the Bible. Not only was it one of the most significant costly acts ever recorded, it was one of the most perfectly timed efforts of obedience in all of the Gospels. When the time came for Jesus to go to the cross, Mary poured everything she had out on Him. Perfume worth an entire years wages. Her only treasure, her life savings, and all of her financial security was given to Jesus in one perfectly timed extravagant act that He called good. At just the right time, and in just the right way, Mary poured it all out on Jesus:
Matthew 26:7 a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. 8 But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? 9 For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.” 10 But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. 11 For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. 12 For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial. 13 Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”
Many of the disciples that traveled with Jesus, saw the miracles, healed people with Him, and cast out demons had no idea what He was about to go through. They knew that Jesus loved them, and they loved Him, but they didn't take the time to really know what was on His heart. They didn't really take the time to sit at His feet and soak up everything He was saying and what it meant. They knew what Jesus meant to them, but they didn't take the time to find out what they could mean to Jesus. They didn't see how important the anointing Mary offered Jesus was. But Jesus did! Jesus is the only judge of what is good. Because Mary did the one thing necessary...listening to Jesus...knowing Him...before "doing" anything else for Him...she got to know His heart and offer Him everything at the right time in the right way.
I want to be like Mary. Only one thing is needed, and that one thing will lead me deep into the place of giving it all at the right time!
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