Sitting at the Feet of Jesus
The Many Things and the One Thing: Sitting at the Feet of Jesus
How many things are you juggling in life? How many plates do you have spinning? Are you anxious and troubled over many things? If you had to choose just one thing, what would it be and why? What is the one thing that is necessary in your life?
We are very busy people. We all have many different responsibilities and facets to our lives. We live full and hurried lives where we juggle many different elements of family, work, relationships, hobbies, finances, managing the different aspects of our days, weeks, months, and years. We have a lot going on. We are anxious and troubled about many things.
Many things are our reality, but only one thing is essential and necessary. Many things call for our attention, but only one thing is really worthy of all our attention and affection.
Distraction and business is easy work, bur simplicity and focus require difficult work.
Such was the case with two sisters, Martha and Mary, in the time of Jesus’ ministry. Martha was busy and distracted from Jesus by serving and conducting many tasks with great anxiety and trouble, while Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to his teaching. Mary put herself in the position of a disciple of Jesus, sitting at his feet and listening and learning, while Martha was filled with bitterness and resentment which grew from tasks of ritualistic obligation and a darkened heart of approval seeking, rather than a humble heart of selfless service.
Luke’s gospel account tells us, “Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.’ But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.’” (Luke 10:38-42, ESV).
We can be like Martha or we can be like Mary in our relationship with Jesus. Like Martha, we can choose to be alone in our anxiety and troubled tasks, wallowing in our bitterness and resentments, or we can choose to be like Mary, and be disciples of Jesus who sit at Jesus’ feet and listen and learn from him. We can choose the many things or we can choose the one necessary thing.
When we choose to sit at the feet of Jesus and to be his disciples, our anxieties and troubles fade to the background as we sit and learn from Jesus, as we are with him, and as we focus on the good portion which will not be taken away from us.
Like Mary, may we put away our anxieties and troubles and sit at the feet of Jesus as his disciples, choosing the one necessary thing, and receiving the good portion from Jesus which will not be taken away.
A Prayer for the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost, or the Fifth Sunday after Trinity (Proper 11): “O God, you declare your almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity: Grant us the fullness of your grace, that we, running to obtain your promises, may become partakers of your heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.” (Book of Common Prayer, 2019).
Flourish 365: is now available! Download Flourish 365, a free #Devotional book for each month, a devotional for each day of the year, by subscribing here: www.robbiepruitt.com #BibleStudy #bibleverse #bibleverse
