A Few Remarks on Luke 10:38-4238Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. 39And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. 40But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. 41And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: 42But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. (Luke 10:38‑42).
How little, beloved brethren, do we enter into the Word of God! In these busy days it is well to remind one another of meditation in it. We complain of the want of growth in the saints; but if you stint yourself in your sustenance, how can you expect growth? We are like children playing with farthings, who think they are sovereigns. Our time is occupied with other things.
Some of us are travel-stained and weather beaten, and others entering somewhat freshly on the path; but if any of us look back, can we not say that we did not know when He first touched us—where He would lead us? Christ is the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. There is no distance between the sinner and Christ—He who, as we sometimes say, could lay His hand on the leper, and not be defiled, but remain the spotless, stainless Son of God.
We see Him here with one sitting at His feet, and we shall find her again at His feet in other places. There may be “many things” that engage us, the Lord’s interests too, but they may all be taken away. And we shall not regret it. But one thing, His word, shall not be taken away. “One thing is needful.” Martha was caring about the Lord.
Did Mary know, as she sat at His feet, where He would lead His follower? Let us look at the eleventh of John, verse 32, “Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying unto Him, Lord if Thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.” She has deepened in acquaintance with Him. But Christ had not come to apply a remedy. Death was there, and death is beyond all remedies. And it was the state of man. God never mends anything, He leaves it to man to mend things. He will not mend this poor earth, He will have new heavens and a new earth. And it is nothing to Him—He can speak a world into existence. He entered into their sorrow—He wept; but it was at more than that, it was at the universal pall spread over everything.
In the twelfth of John we see her again at His feet, with the precious ointment. She is silent, but He speaks for her— “Against the day of My burying hath she kept this.”
May we so enter into His word, that when we are together, the ointment may be there.