At the Feet of the Master

One of my favorite passages of Holy Scripture is found in Luke's Gospel, chapter 10, verses 38 to 42. I love this passage because it's easy to understand, and at the same time, extremely profound.

It's interesting to note the great difference in the nature and character of the two sisters. Martha, devoted to service, found herself totally overwhelmed by her workload. We need to understand that “fussing” and “worrying” (v.41) will always go hand in hand—it's impossible for us to praise the Lord and be stressed out at the same time.

As for Mary, she seems passive and not very efficient for the Lord's work. According to our society, which glorifies and places productivity above all other virtues, Mary is “useless." But that's not how the Lord sees it. According to Him, Mary was fulfilling the great commandment of Mark 12:29-30, listening to Him and loving Him with all her being.

Jesus was far more impressed by Mary's love than by Martha's work. There are two quite distinct categories of people in this world: workers and lovers. And it's surprisingly the lovers who manage to do the Lord's work best and most effectively.

I find it fascinating that Christ tells us that “only one thing is necessary” (v.42), to please Him. We only need one ingredient in our walk with God: to sit at the Master's feet, to listen to Him, to let Him speak, to worship Him. And this is a deliberate choice on our part: “Mary has chosen” (v.42).

Martha certainly wanted to do well and, in her “domestic care” (v.40), to serve by, for example, feeding the Lord. But for Mary, simply being at His feet nourished her. Martha welcomed Jesus Christ, Mary succeeded in keeping Him. God doesn't just want to visit us, He wants to stay with us.

Make the decision, whatever it takes, to give some of your time every day to listening to the Lord: 15-30 minutes or perhaps 1 hour. In this time, let His voice penetrate your soul and, in turn, express the love you have for Him and carefully note down what He tells you in a notebook!

Jean-Luc Trachsel