Guess Who is Coming to Dinner Part 2

by John Lowe
(Laurens SC, USA)

But Martha was busy with the meal and—

SHE WAS WORRYING
In responding, the Lord pointed out another difficulty: “Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things.”
Someone said: “Worry is a small trickle of fear that meanders through the mind until it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.
We all worry from time to time, but in Martha’s case, there was an additional problem—

SHE WAS TROUBLED
Jesus used the word “troubled” to describe Martha: “Martha, Martha, thou art …troubled about many things.”
The NIV says, “You are…upset about many things.”
I have a feeling the “many things” included more than just preparations for a meal.
Perhaps Martha was encumbered by many burdens we don’t know about.
No wonder we identify with her—pulled in all directions, questioning God’s power and goodness, sinking into self-pity, worried, and upset about many things.


Next, let’s look at WHEN WE ARE LIKE MARY.

Jesus’ prescription was a little bit of Mary-ness: “One thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part.”
Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet, hearing His word. That implies three things:

A. SUBMISSION.
The phrase “at His feet” occurs 16 times in the Bible, and it often implies an attitude of submission and trust.
Mary could have set on the sofa next to Jesus, but she had a quiet, trusting, submissive heart, expressed by her being at His feet.
But in addition to having an attitude of submission, there was her—

B. DEVOTION.
This isn’t the only time that Mary showed her devotion to Jesus.
In John 12, this same Mary is at a dinner party, once again sitting at Jesus' feet, washing His feet with perfume, and wiping them with her hair.

C. Besides submission and devotion, Mary appears to have COMMUNION with our Lord.
She was listening to His Word.
She was having her quiet time, having her Bible study.
She was in the prayer closet, feeding on her daily manna.
So, now I ask a question of those of you who have been going to church for many years.
For years, you have been seated at the feet of Jesus.
Does God and His word still have first place in your life?
Be careful, because the Devil is going to tempt you to think you know it all, so why keep studying the Bible?
He’s going to tempt us to set in front of the television or in front of the computer or to stay sleeping in our beds, instead of setting at the feet of Jesus.
And you know, our church services and our Bible studies aren’t the only opportunities that you have to sit at the feet of Jesus.
Every time you set down and open your Bible and study God’s word, you are sitting at the feet of Jesus.
So, I encourage you to study God’s word on your own, or with friends.
Friends, you are right now seated at the feet of Jesus Christ, through the Word of God.
But, what about tomorrow?
And what about Thursday?
It’s time to change your priorities.
A change in spiritual priorities will make all the difference in your life; because there is only one thing needful.
This Word from God, our Bible, teaches us about our sins, and about our need for a Savior.
And then it shows us that Savior; the Lord Jesus Christ.
Through His Word, God strengthens our faith.
So, continue studying, and learning and growing.
Continue setting at the feet of Jesus Christ.
Paul wrote this to young Timothy, “I now say to you: continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you have learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”
Let’s set at the feet of our Savior every day of our lives.
The best way to be fresh and refreshing to others is to learn to sit at the Lord’s feet with an open Bible before us, meeting Him personally each day so He can give us a word for our hearts.


CONCLUSION

The great lesson of this story is that being occupied with Christ is more important than being occupied for Christ and it is certainly better than being preoccupied with self.
Are you so busy and upset that you are neglecting the cultivation of the soul and failing to do that one thing that Jesus said was needful, and the most important of all?
As the old song says: Take time to be holy, the world rushes on.
I want to read verse 42 one more time, But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
Mary made the right choice.
She chose “that good part.”
She chose Jesus, the substance of the word that she heard, and with her choice came eternal life and salvation by Him.
And the verse says it shall not be taken from her, by men or Satan.
It cannot be lost or taken away.
This is a good place to end our devotion.
But let’s go to God in prayer and thank him for the wonderful things that he has given us; salvation and eternal life, His word, the Holy Spirit, the promise of Christ’s return, a home in heaven, and so much more.
Really, don’t we have everything we need?