ARE YOU CHOOSING THE GOOD PART?
What did Jesus mean when He said that Mary had chosen the good part? And what lessons can we learn from Jesus’ words?
You know the story found in Luke 10:38-42. There were two sisters; Mary and Martha along with Lazarus their brother whom Jesus considered to be His friends. This is no small matter that they are called friends of Jesus because Jesus knew what was in all men’s hearts. Their home was always open to Jesus.
One day when Jesus was visiting, Martha lodged this complaint against her sister Mary. She asked Jesus to make Mary help with all the cooking, cleaning and serving. You see, when Martha was busy serving, Mary sat at the feet of Jesus listening to His every word. Jesus responded to Martha, “Martha, Martha you are anxious and troubled about many things but Mary has chosen the good part.”
These words are ripe with so many pertinent truths which are ultimately tied to the state of each sister’s heart. Jesus always ministered to people’s heart. He would always get to the crux of the matter.
Martha is described as cumbered about with much busyness. Her busyness was masking a deeper issue. She was full of anxious thoughts about “many” things. The word cumbered means to be weighted down. Her thoughts or meditations were far from the Lord. The bible says be anxious for nothing, Phil. 4:6…the bible says let the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, Psalm 19:14….the bible also says think on that which is good, Phil 4:8.
By her giving herself to cares, she was missing out on the fact that the Lord Jesus Himself was in her home! Jesus is and has the answer to all problems. He came to bring the Kingdom or the reality of God’s blessings and the fullness which is found in heaven on earth.
Mary, on the other hand, availed herself completely to Jesus. She basked in His presence and hung on every word. She was not neglectful of duties and responsibilities. On the contrary; she was exactly where the Lord wanted and needed her to be. Her heart was open to God. She was in tune with the Lord, and hence, the Kingdom of God was open to her. With her heart she chose Jesus.
Jesus’ admonition to Martha was not a sharp rebuke, but rather an invitation to enter in. He said, “One thing is needful of thee.” That one thing was to adjust her heart to receive the good part. Jesus is the good part. Days can be full of evil but in His presence is fullness of joy.