At the Feet of Jesus
By Pastor Gregg Bing
We often hear the
question asked: "If you had the chance to have dinner with anyone who ever
lived, who would it be?" Most respond with sports figures, others with
entertainers or politicians, but often people want to have dinner with Jesus
Christ. A close-knit family in Bethany, Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and
Martha, experienced this many times during Jesus' earthly ministry. Lazarus is
the most well known member of the family, having been raised by Jesus after he
had been dead four days. As amazing as his experience was, Mary seems to have
been more personally affected by the time she spent with Jesus than either her
brother or sister. The reason for this? Each time we see Mary with Jesus, we
find her in the same position—"at the feet of Jesus."
Mary Listening
Mary's first encounter wit Jesus is recorded in Luke, chapter 10.
When Jesus entered Bethany, Martha invited Jesus into her home. During Jesus'
visit, she was so busy working and serving Jesus that she spent little time
with Him. However, Mary sat at Jesus' feet and listened to the words He spoke.
Seeing her sister sitting there, Martha complained to Jesus, demanding that He
tell Mary to help her with the work. Jesus answered, "Martha, Martha, you are
worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has
chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."
Mary seated herself at Jesus' feet, assuming a humble position of
worship. There she listened to Jesus' powerful words and teaching, enabling her
to grow in grace, and faith, and knowledge of God. Trying to serve the Lord,
Martha found herself worrying and fretting over many things. Jesus pointed out
to her that in His presence, only one thing is needed, the good thing that Mary
chose—spending time with Jesus. The relationship Mary was developing with
Jesus, the things she learned as she heard Him speak, were things that would
never be taken from her.
Mary Learning
The next time we find Mary with Jesus was a time of great sorrow
for her and Martha. In John, chapter 11, we read that their brother Lazarus
became sick, so they sent word to Jesus. Knowing Jesus loved their brother,
they trusted He would immediately return and heal Lazarus. Jesus did love this
family. However, He waited two days before He returned to Bethany in Judea, so
that by the time He arrived, Lazarus would be dead. Jesus knew these things had
happened that He might raise Lazarus from the dead and "that the Son of
God might be glorified through it."
When Jesus neared Bethany, Martha went out to meet Him, while Mary
remained behind, sitting in the house. Martha's first words to Jesus were,
"Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." She
believed in the resurrection at the last day, but this did not seem to ease her
present grief at the loss of her brother. Jesus assured her, "I am the
resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall
live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe
this?" While Martha declared her belief in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of
God, she did not truly understand the powerful meaning of His words.
Martha then returned home and told Mary that Jesus was calling for
her. When she heard that, Mary hurried to Him. The Jews thought she was going
to the tomb to weep, so they followed her. Though Mary was filled with sorrow,
possibly even somewhat disappointed with Jesus, she still fell on her knees at
His feet when she came to Him. Like her sister, Mary's first words were,
"Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."
Jesus was troubled in His spirit when He saw Mary, as well as the
Jews who followed her, weeping and wailing in grief. Jesus asked where the body
of Lazarus had been laid. As they led Him to the tomb, Jesus Himself shed
tears, not in sorrow over the loss of Lazarus, but because of the unbelief of
these Jews, especially Mary. They had seen Him heal the lame, the deaf, even
the blind, but, they never considered Jesus had power to raise the dead.
Lazarus's body had been laid in a cave and a stone rolled across
the opening. Jesus told them, "Take away the stone." Martha
protested, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead
four days." Jesus responded, "Did I not say to you that if you would
believe you would see the glory of God?" After they took away the stone,
Jesus lifted His eyes and gave thanks to His Father, that the people watching,
especially Mary and Martha, might believe that the Father had sent Him. Jesus
then cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"
Lazarus came out of the tomb, his hands, feet, and face still
bound with the tightly wrapped grave clothes. Jesus commanded them, "Loose
him, and let him go." What a tremendous learning experience for both
Martha and Mary as they watched their brother brought back to life. The
statement they each greeted Jesus with must have seemed foolish now. Jesus'
declaration to Martha that He was "the resurrection and the life" had
been demonstrated in a powerful and personal way. However, Mary seems to be the
one who truly understood the full impact of Jesus' words.
Mary Loving
The day before Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, He
again had supper with His friends in Bethany (John 12). Lazarus sat with Jesus
at the table, Martha served, and Mary, once again, sat at the feet of Jesus.
She took a pound of expensive oil, anointed Jesus' feet with it, and then wiped
His feet with her hair.
The Scriptures tell us "the house was filled with the
fragrance of the oil" as Mary lovingly worshipped her Lord. Using that
which was a woman's glory, her hair (1
Corinthians 11:15), she wiped Jesus' feet giving Him the glory and
honor He was due. Not only did the fragrance of the oil fill the room, so did
the sweet smell of her humble service.
Judas Iscariot, who would later betray Jesus, questioned why this
valuable oil was not sold and given to the poor. Judas didn't really care about
the poor; he knew if the oil was sold, he would have a chance to take some of
the money for himself (Judas carried the moneybag for the group and would often
take what was put in it). Judas was not alone in thinking what Mary did was a
waste; the other disciples complained about it as well.
Jesus defended Mary, explaining her actions with these words:
"Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. For the poor
you have with you always, but Me you do not have always." Far from being a
waste, Mary had kept the oil for the day of Jesus' burial. Why, then, do we
find her anointing Jesus with the oil at this time?
Before returning
to Judea, Jesus had told His disciples what would happen to Him in Jerusalem.
"Behold, we
are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets
concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished. For He will be delivered to the
Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon. They will scourge Him
and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again." (Luke 18:31-34)
Jesus' disciples understood none of these things for the saying
was "hidden from them."
Having witnessed the resurrection of her brother, Lazarus, Mary
may have come to see something the twelve disciples did not—that Jesus Himself
would rise from the dead.
The Jewish burial custom was to anoint the body with fragrant
spices and oil and then to wrap it tightly in strips of cloth (grave clothes).
After Jesus' death, as the high Sabbath drew near, Jesus' body was hastily prepared
and laid in a tomb. A group of women watched as this was done. Following the
weekly Sabbath, the women returned to the tomb early Sunday morning intending
to anoint Jesus' body according to the Jewish custom. Two of the women were
named Mary: Mary, the mother of James, and Mary Magdalene. Mary of Bethany was
not with them.
Mary seemed to realize that Jesus must die, but she also
understood that Jesus would rise again. She believed Jesus when He declared:
"I am the resurrection and the life." This is why she took the oil
that had been kept for His burial and anointed Him with it that evening in
Bethany. How would Mary know and understand such things, truths that even
Jesus' disciples had not grasped?
Mary had listened to Jesus' words; she had watched Jesus as He
worked the works of God. She experienced Jesus' power firsthand seeing Him
raise her brother from the dead. Mary knew Jesus; she believed in Him as Lord
and Christ. She had developed a relationship with Him. She knew Jesus loved her
and her family, and she loved Him. All this happened because Mary spent time
sitting "at the feet of Jesus."
Oftentimes,we are like Martha. We work hard trying to serve the
Lord, but we find ourselves unsatisfied, "worrying and fretting over many
things." Certainly, we are called to do good works (Ephesians
2:10), but before we can effectively serve the Lord, we must choose,
as Mary did, "that good part, which will not be taken away"—spending
time with Jesus Himself. We cannot literally sit at Jesus' feet and listen to
Him speak, but we can spend time listening to what He has said in His Word. As
we read, study, and meditate on God's Word, we come to know more of our
precious Savior; we develop a deeper and more intimate relationship with Him;
we learn to love Him more and more, and His love compels us to worship and
serve this One "who is our life" (Colossians
3:4).
(A 10 Minute Video)
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Studies By Pastor Gregg Bing
How
God Saves Men
Believing
Christ DIED, that’s HISTORY.
Believing
Christ DIED for YOU SINS and Rose again that’s SALVATION.
ead
Acts 16L31 Romans 1:16, and 1. Corinthians 15:1-4
(A 10 Minute Video)
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