Bible Boss Babe: Mary - Unplugging to Sit At the Feet of Jesus
March will be focus on inspiring women from the Bible in a series called, “Bible Boss Babes.” As it is formally Women’s History Month in Australia, the UK and the US, and also with International Women’s Day on March 8th, it’s a month where Seele’s Editor, Ally will point out four inspiring women and share practical life tips that we can apply to our own lives.
This week we’re looking at Mary from Bethany, the sisters of Lazarus and Martha, the one who sat at the feet of Jesus.
Jesus, Lazarus, Martha and Mary were all close friends, so close that Martha stood up to Jesus in a way, telling him in not so many words, “you need to tell my sister to get off her rusty dusty and help me cook?” The Bible is clear to point out that detail. This week Seele featured a podcast interview with Laura Toggs, whose parents started Hillsong Church, and who leads the church’s Young and Free Movement. My final question to Laura was: “besides your mom [Bobbie Houston], what woman of the Bible would you have as your mentor?” And she said Mary, that she’d like to be more like Mary and sit at the feet of Jesus.
I’m sure you’ve heard your fair share of sermons on Mary and Martha, and how Martha was trying to prepare a meal while her sister kept sitting at the feet of Jesus as he taught. Perturbed Martha was annoyed that Mary was sitting and not helping her in the kitchen. Until Jesus spoke to Martha by saying gently but directly:
“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.”
‘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’” (Luke 10: 40-42)
Mary was a Bible Boss Babe who understood the spiritual significance of unplugging to sit at the feet of Jesus.
I have to admit, I can really be like Martha, trying to dot every I and cross every T, getting things just right by staying super organized and on top of things. I can’t stand disorder, a lack of scheduling, and clutter. And I love entertaining and hosting people, so I totally get Martha. But the truth is, I ask myself and you this question: when is the last time you unplugged to be with Holy Spirit? When is the last time you said no to a weekend of Netflix, going out with friends, or working on this or that project to unplug from the world and worship God, read your Bible, watch sermons, and just be with Holy Spirit? I’m not talking about your daily 10 minutes of devotional before work or before bed, but I’m talking about really sitting at the feet of Jesus and being with Him?
You see, Jesus goes on in verse 21:
“But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
A line in a recent movie said, “life is made up of a string of choices.” Jesus, with his get to the heart statements was trying to get Martha to see this, and get us all to see that the choice to sit at his feet to take in His words, which are eternal gives something more than what’s temporal. Mary, being the total Bible Boss Babe that she is understood this “good part” that Jesus is referring to. It is only when we do Matthew 6:33 and ‘live not by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God’ (Luke 4:4 and Deuteronomy 8:3) that we truly have what is good and eternal.
It’s great if you have a booming business, it’s great if you have an awesome marriage and family, it’s great if you have lots of investments, it’s cool if you know a lot of important people and host dinner parties but all of this pales in comparison to the larger picture of salvation and the Gospel message that Jesus came to spread on this earth, a message that will save the soul of man and woman if they accept it.
And though we may accept this message in our hearts and live by it, we need to take regular and active steps every now and then to unplug from the world and sit at the feet of Jesus.