Sitting At His Feet
Pastor Josh Slatten
When a person is out in the sun, they feel the warmth of the sun. When a person goes out in the snow, they cannot help but feel the cold air and be chilly. The environment and atmosphere that we place ourselves in makes a difference. Likewise, living in the environment of God’s love will make us feel more alive and joyful.
Luke 10: 38-42 “While they were traveling, he entered a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who also sat at the Lord’s feet and was listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to serve alone? So tell her to give me a hand.” The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice and it will not be taken away from her.”
Mary had recognized that Jesus was superior to her and that Jesus wanted her to be near. Mary realized that Jesus had many important things to tell her that she could not learn somewhere else. Often times we will talk about morning devotions or evening devotions. For Mary the word devotion meant devoting herself to Jesus. Do we desire to be in Jesus’ presence like Mary? For Mary it wasn’t just about a bible study, it was about getting to know Jesus better.
Martha on the other hand approached Jesus differently. Martha started off well because she invited Jesus into her house, but she gets mad at Mary for not helping her prepare the meal. Martha was more concerned with preparation and performance, which resulted in her missing the whole point of Jesus visit. In verse 41, Jesus responded by questioning her priorities. There is a serious contrast here in this passage between these two women. Martha was busy, but Mary was busy being blessed. Sitting at the Masters feet should always be our first priority.
Jeremiah 29:13 “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”
Psalm 27:4 “I have asked one thing from the LORD; it was what I desire: to dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, gazing on the beauty of the LORD and seeking him in his temple.”
In the Roman culture, when a student wanted to show his respect for the teacher, they would sit at their feet. By placing themselves in this intimate position, it showed how much they valued and appreciated not just the teaching but also the relationship with the teacher. How passionate are we about sitting at Jesus feet.