A Woman of Influence Chooses the Better Part
Hi, I’m Mary, but I used to be Martha. It’s true, I was once distracted by many things, and even though I loved Jesus, I had not chosen the better part. I had lost my way to His heart.
You see, I had forgotten to make the main thing my main thing. But Mary, Martha’s sister, understood something about this. I guess you could say Mary of Bethany understood the art of essentialism and – unlike her sister, Martha, – she chose not to multitask but instead focus on what was important at the moment. And you’ll see why Mary, because of this, has become a biblical woman of influence for all women of faith.
Mary and Martha were hosting a get-together at their home. Mary sat at the feet of Jesus and listened to his teachings. Martha was (literally) banging about in the kitchen preparing snacks.
She became so irritated with her sister for not helping that she admonished Jesus for not setting Mary straight! To her surprise, Jesus corrected Martha for having her priorities misplaced. In fact, he said that Mary had chosen the “better part.” The Message translation says He called it the “main course.”(Luke 10:42)
In addition, Jesus added, “And it won’t be taken from her.”
Nobody was going to steal or bully away Mary’s time with Jesus. Our time with Jesus is precious and He will protect it if you are willing to give it.
What Can We Learn From Mary?
Martha kind of takes a bad rap in this story, doesn’t she? I mean, wasn’t she simply doing what was expected of women in her day? Set the table, make the coffee, get some snacks together for their guests.
Perhaps Lazarus, her brother, had even told her to do these things. That would have been perfectly normal in Bible times.
But, surely Mary knew these expectations as well, right? She had been raised in a Hebrew household and she knew her place as a woman.
And yet, Jesus celebrates her choice to put aside housework and hungry men’s stomachs, and even the potential for criticism from the men in the house and gossip from the ladies in the neighborhood – “Did you see Mary last night just sitting there while Martha did all the work?”
Surely Mary was not a dunce head, but she was so overcome by her Savior’s presence and her love for Him that she cared not what others thought of her – and Jesus noticed and rewarded her for it!
I dare say many of us could stop right here and reflect. How many times have we chosen the lesser part – the chores, the to-do lists, the societal or church mandated standards, in order to fulfill a role we have idealized or been squeezed into?
How many times was I trying so hard to be the Christian woman I thought would please Jesus, only to find out that what pleased him was my eyes and attention fixed on Him, my heart pouring out adoration for Him – in other words, time at his feet.
Something Wonderfully Significant for Jesus!
Fast forward to a few days before Jesus’ crucifixion and Jesus is telling his disciples a little about what is going to happen to him in the coming days. (Matthew 26)
He is again visiting his friends, Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. Mary, in her love connection to Jesus, must have understood at least in part, what was about to happen to him because she came to Him with a jar of expensive oil and anointed him, and massaged his feet with it, and wiped his feet with her hair.
This certainly must not have been standard operating procedure for women in Jesus’ day either! In fact, Judas criticized her for wasting expensive oil, but once again Jesus defends Mary’s choice by saying,
“She has just done something wonderfully significant for me…When she poured this perfume on my body, what she really did was anoint me for burial. You can be sure that wherever in the whole world the Message is preached, what she has just done is going to be remembered and admired.” Matthew 26: 10-13 (The Message)
Mary was not interested in societal standards or protocols, she was interested in loving and serving her Savior.
It seems she had thrown all caution to the wind. It reminds me of when King David was so overcome with joy in the Lord that the Bible says he literally danced through town in his undergarments! Not very fitting for a king and certainly Mary’s actions must have looked more than a bit unorthodox for a woman in biblical days.
I ask you, when is the last time you unashamedly showed lavish love for Jesus in a way that would cause others to lift their eyebrows, murmur about you, or possibly even unfriend you on Facebook?
Feet Time
I heard someone talk about this story of Mary anointing Jesus and she said, since this was just a few days prior to the crucifixion, it is entirely possible that this oil (what we call essential oil today) would have lingered on Jesus and perhaps have comforted him during his time on the cross.
That’s a gift I would have risked ridicule and cast aside proper etiquette to bestow on my Savior. How about you?
Think about it, she was anointing Him as the King – her King! She knew WHO He was. She served Him because she knew Him and she got to know Him by sitting at his feet and allowing the distractions of this life – the lesser things – to fall away as she focused on the better part.
What gifts do you have to lavish on your Lord and Savior? Are you setting aside the lesser things to bless him with the better part – the better part of you and your time? Are you resting in him enough so you can allow the distractions of daily life to fall away during your feet time with him?
Think about both these stories, Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and then she anointed His feet.
Yes, I’d say that Mary understood what was essential. She understood her Savior’s presence meant a change in protocol, a welcome interruption to her day. She grasped the meaning of Jesus as her King and showed him her love and allegiance.
Feet time – that’s the better part.
What gifts do you have to lavish on your Lord and Savior? Are you setting aside the lesser things to bless Him with the better part? Are you resting in Him enough so you can allow the distractions of daily life to fall away during… Share on X“In the way of God, thoughts count for little, love does everything. And it is not necessary to have great things to do.” Brother Lawrence
The Better Part
What catches Jesus’ attention is when we lavish our love on Him and when we choose to be with Him. He’s not too impressed with neatly folded laundry or clean baseboards, fancy pedicures, and Pinterest perfect front door wreaths.
That’s not to say any of those things are wrong or sinful. It’s just that all those things are lesser things. And until we can get our hearts to the place where we choose the better part – the essential thing – we will not understand feet time.
The dictionary defines essential as something absolutely necessary or indispensable. As a noun, it is a necessary element or chief point.
Mary had learned that being with Jesus was essential to her life. Being with him had become her chief point. The opposite of essential is extraneous, or incidental…take it or leave, a peripheral part of life.
I am Mary, choosing to leave Martha in the kitchen, choosing to sit at my Savior’s feet and eagerly wait for Him to say,
“One thing is essential and Mary has chosen it.”
Will you join me?
- A Woman of Influence Chooses the Better Part - May 20, 2018
I really enjoyed this. I set down with Jesus everyday and read a chapter in my Bible and read a devotion every morning.
“I ask you, when is the last time you unashamedly showed lavish love for Jesus in a way that would cause others to lift their eyebrows, murmur about you, or possibly even unfriend you on Facebook?”
I loved this… it really made me pause and think. Thank you for this wonderful post! I’m definitely sharing it!
Wrote on similar theme this week – pinned yours!
I love everything about this! Thank you for this today!
I’ve got a strong Martha gene ;), but I’m learning to balance it out with Mary humility and hungering for time with Jesus.
I love this story because I tend to be a Martha. I get so distracted by my responsibility that I forget to sit and listen to Jesus. Thanks for the post!