Last week we studied about Martha and her need to serve. Certainly, there is nothing wrong with wanting to feed and care for guests in our home; but like all things, caring for guests must take its proper place. Today we will look at Mary and her desire to study and learn from the Lord.
Among those I count as good friends, there is a lady who truly knows God’s Word. She can quote many passages, and she knows more about the history of Israel than most preachers. She has spent years studying God’s Word and teaching others. It is such a joy to spend time with her and to talk with her about the Bible.
Mary was evidently like my friend. She wanted to be where she could hear Jesus teach. We find her sitting at the feet of Jesus. Have you ever thought that this was not the place a woman should have been? Women did not sit at the feet of religious teachers. They did not engage in formal biblical learning, place themselves in close physical contact with a rabbi, or sit in a group of men. I suppose there may have been other women there, but there may not have been. At the very least, this was a somewhat unconventional interaction of a woman with a rabbi and a group of men.
Later, in John 12, we find Mary anointing Jesus’ feet and drying them with her hair. This was another unconventional behavior on the part of Mary. She loosed her hair and exposed herself in a way respectable women usually did not do. Notice, though, that in neither instance does Jesus reprimand her for what she does.
Mary was surely used to helping with the serving of meals and other household duties. Even if there were servants in the house, there would have been certain duties for the women of the house to perform. Mary simply chose not to help Martha but to listen to Jesus.
Some people just don’t “serve.” I doubt that Mary was that kind of person. Her not serving was not to get out of work but her desire to listen to Jesus. When she anointed the feet of Jesus, she was performing an act of service. The feet of all guests had to be washed, usually by a servant. In this case, Mary used expensive oil to anoint Jesus’ feet, and she was not thinking about the propriety of what she was doing. Her actions were based on her love for a dear friend. She was criticized by one of Jesus’ own disciples, Judas Iscariot. He did not criticize her for her act of love for their Master, but for the cost of the oil she used. He said that the ointment could be sold, and the money given to the poor. Jesus rebuked Judas, telling him they would have the poor forever; but she was anointing His body for burial. John tells us that Judas wasn’t really concerned about the poor. He was concerned about money, because he was a thief.
We learn some valuable lessons from Mary. Her attitude of desire for the Word puts study and worship in a true perspective. The same should be true of us today. We should desire a time of study and prayer to strengthen and encourage us.
Sometimes we women are more concerned about getting food on the table than sitting at the feet of Jesus. When I read this story, I think about how women are today. If we have a fellowship following worship, there are often several ladies that leave before the end of the service to “get the food on the table.” We are more concerned about the physical than the spiritual.
Women can learn other lessons from these women. We don’t have to always be in charge. Sometimes, we can just be a helper or watch from a distance. We don’t have to be a part of every activity, every event, every class, or every good work. Sometimes, we just may not be able to be there or participate. It is ok. Sometimes we, like Martha, become burdened with serving and forget our own need to learn, to be strengthened, to be fed with the Word of God.
I think there is one valuable lesson we need to remember about this story of Mary and Martha. We all need to be servants, but we also need to be students of the Word. We need to all take time to just listen and learn. We need to study God’s Word more closely and deeply so we can apply it to our daily lives. We need to memorize God’s Word. We need to be willing to share what we learn with others. We need to remember, however, that if you sit at the feet of Jesus long enough, He’ll tell you to get up and get busy. Whether you are a Mary or a Martha, you need to serve and you need to learn.
Sandra Oliver