Knowing Him at His Feet

Here’s the promised post about Mary. It’s a joy to write about her, but I have to confess that I’m stressed out. So…I have a favor to ask. If you read this post, will you pray for me? I’m launching out in faith by presenting a book proposal to a few reps from publishers at our upcoming She Speaks conference. I’m brand new at this, I’m way behind, and I’m freaking out a little. Would you pray for time and inspiration to finish the proposal? Thanks!

Now about Mary… I love her, because she was a woman intent on knowing Jesus. The preciousness of the stories about her interactions with Jesus is seeing how He nurtured friendship with her and saw her as a person of value and worthy of His time.
Luke 10:38-42 introduces us to Mary in a story with which most Christian women are well-acquainted. It’s the famous Mary and Martha story. If you’re not familiar with the story, I encourage you to stop and read it now.

Traditionally, Martha is seen as the bad guy in this passage. Being a “doer” myself, I prefer to think of her as a work in progress! After all, she did open her house to Jesus and the disciples. I think her heart was in the right place to begin with, but her motives probably shifted toward perfectionism along the way. I can identify. Can any of you? Because of that wrong motivation, she missed a blessing. While she hurried around, Mary sat at Jesus’ feet.

V. 39 says, “…Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.” There’s something important to notice here. First of all, Mary sat close to the Lord and right at His feet. This was the traditional posture of a student to the Rabbi. She didn’t stand far away in the corner of the room straining to catch bits of Jesus’ words. Amongst all the visitors that Martha was working to serve, Mary boldly sat at Jesus’ feet and listened. She violated social norms, because she just couldn’t resist Him. She just had to KNOW Him.

What social norms is God calling me to violate in order to know Him? Is it getting up at an uncomfortable or radical hour before dawn? Is it taking the phone off the hook and getting back to friends later? Is it saying “no” to volunteer work or (gasp) a job at church? Is it limiting entertainment time or “me” time? Is it taking a righteous stand against the activities of my social group?

Mary didn’t stop to consider the cost. She just knew that she had to be at His feet. John Piper says, “The time it takes to dig deeper into the heart of God is often repaid by striking a vein of gold or an oil gusher. The effort is repaid with joy and power beyond all expectation.” There is a price to pay for knowing Jesus. There is always a cost of sitting at His feet…but the reward is so much greater. Mary knew this secret. She was willing to face her sister’s wrath and the whispers of those around her. Why? Because the reward of friendship with Jesus and the even greater depths of truly knowing the Son of God was the treasure that she sought. Her reward was well worth the price. Tune in for part 2 in a couple of days!

This is an excerpt from a weekend retreat that I lead called “King of Hearts: Jesus, Lover of a Woman’s Soul.” If you are interested in this retreat for your church or finding another speaker for your event, please visit the Proverbs 31 Ministries website.