Recently, I shared some thoughts and reflections with the Executive Team that I had on a story we’re probably all quite familiar with that’s recorded in John 12 where Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, anoints Jesus with expensive perfume.
Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honour. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. — John 12:1-3
It’s such a beautiful image, isn’t it?
I have read this passage many times, and my focus has always been on what Mary did. After all, tipping a jar of perfume that was worth a year’s wages is quite a significant act! However, reading this passage again recently, I noticed something I hadn’t seen before. This time my focus was drawn to what the others in the house were doing.
The verse says Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. So, Martha was in full “serving” mode, and Lazarus and the disciples were kind of just kicking back, relaxing and enjoying life. Was what they were doing bad or wrong? Absolutely not. However, what I found interesting is that all of the people in the house had full access to Jesus. Jesus was with them. Lazarus and the disciples were reclining at the table with Jesus and Martha was serving Him food. Yet Mary is the only who chooses to worship Him.
As Christians, we have access to Jesus 24-7. But how often to do take advantage of that? How often do we, like Mary, choose to worship Him? Not casually, but extravagantly! How often do we, like Mary, come before Jesus – humble and broken and just sit at His feet and worship Him, sometimes with tears of joy, sometimes with tears of repentance and often with no words to speak at all and with no other agenda than to worship Him because He is worthy of our worship?
The truth is that often, we’re either too busy enjoying life or too distracted by life (or maybe both!) that we sometimes forget or just don’t make time to stop and worship our Lord. As Christians, worship has to be our #1 priority.
In Luke Chapter 10 we see a great example of being distracted. It’s actually another story where Martha and Mary feature.
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. — Luke 10:38-39
Notice again where Mary was – at the feet of Jesus!
But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her. — Luke 10:40-41
It’s interesting that what Martha was doing wasn’t actually bad. She was serving food and drinks to those in the house, including Jesus. They were there after all for a dinner party! But she had become so distracted by her “service” that her focus had come off the one she was actually serving (Jesus) and she was starting to get irritated, worried and upset about what other people were (or weren’t) doing!
How often does this happen to us? When was the last time you were working really hard and you got upset or irritated by what a colleague (or maybe one of your leaders) was or wasn’t doing? Maybe you felt you were doing all of the heavy lifting and you didn’t think it was fair that others weren’t pulling their weight?
In that verse, Jesus says to Martha Few things are needed—or indeed only one.
In our Christian walk, we’re often going to have to choose. And sometimes that choice is going to cost us. We’re going to have to make a sacrifice. We’re going to have to decide between something that doesn’t have an eternal significance and something that does. And sometimes God is going to tell us to re-prioritise and to maybe get rid of some things in our lives that are causing us to be distracted and worried. Jesus says “few things are needed – or indeed only one”. I’m going to suggest that the “only one” thing for us is having an intimate relationship with Jesus where extravagant worship becomes our default position – where we choose this regularly and where we’re not being anxious, worried or upset by what other people are or aren’t doing because we’re so focussed on serving, pleasing and worshipping God!
David Gillman — CEO Christian Schools Tasmania