Good or Best
Intro: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way .”
These famous lines, which open A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens, hint at the novel’s central tension between love and family, on the one hand, and oppression and hatred, on the other.
The book suggests that good and evil, wisdom and folly, and light and darkness stand equally matched in their struggle. The book makes prominent use of “doubles” to get & keep the reader’s interest.
We have a story in the New Testament that also uses “doubles”, as it were to teach us an important lesson. Luke contrasts two sisters, Mary & Martha and their relationship to Jesus on a particular occasion. I don’t want to say that one did bad and one did good. No, I would rather say one did that which was “good”, but the other did “better” or “best”.
The focus of our passage today isn’t that we should not be concerned about household chores. No, it is making a point about discipleship.
Christians need to choose the best over the good, but what can help us in our quest to do the best?
First, we need to focus on being in the right place. Notice verse 39, where Mary sat at the fee to Jesus while Martha was in the kitchen. The Greek word here (parakathizo) doesn’t mean to just sit, but sit near. I think it implies that she got as close to the Lord Jesus as she could possibly get. Sitting at the feet of your master was the proper place for a disciple to be.
Second, choosing the best means that we must listen to the right voice. In the text it is clear that Mary was able to clearly hear God’s voice because of her position. Martha may have been able to catch some of what Jesus was saying but because her focus was elsewhere she most likely couldn’t hear as well as Mary.
Third, choosing the best means that we must set priorities and not falling prey to distractions. Mary’s priority was listening to Christ. Martha’s priority was serving others. Is serving others a bad thing? Of course not! Serving others is a good thing but at that moment it wasn’t the best thing. We are told that Mary “chose good part” which means decided to do the “better” or “best” thing…Mary made a choice, she knew there was other things that needed to be done, but she purposefully didn’t do those things. Instead, she went and sat at the feet of Jesus. I can’t think of anything better than for a disciple to be sitting at the feet of Jesus soaking up every word that He spoke, so I think “best” is the best meaning behind “good part”.
When you stop and think about it…how many of us get so encumbered by activities that are good but they are not the best. Today I want to spend more time at the feet of Jesus, actively listening for His voice. I just can’t imagine that there is anything better for us to do! And after we hear His voice we will then be able to better follow His directions.
Just a thought!
Will
These famous lines, which open A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens, hint at the novel’s central tension between love and family, on the one hand, and oppression and hatred, on the other.
The book suggests that good and evil, wisdom and folly, and light and darkness stand equally matched in their struggle. The book makes prominent use of “doubles” to get & keep the reader’s interest.
We have a story in the New Testament that also uses “doubles”, as it were to teach us an important lesson. Luke contrasts two sisters, Mary & Martha and their relationship to Jesus on a particular occasion. I don’t want to say that one did bad and one did good. No, I would rather say one did that which was “good”, but the other did “better” or “best”.
The focus of our passage today isn’t that we should not be concerned about household chores. No, it is making a point about discipleship.
Christians need to choose the best over the good, but what can help us in our quest to do the best?
First, we need to focus on being in the right place. Notice verse 39, where Mary sat at the fee to Jesus while Martha was in the kitchen. The Greek word here (parakathizo) doesn’t mean to just sit, but sit near. I think it implies that she got as close to the Lord Jesus as she could possibly get. Sitting at the feet of your master was the proper place for a disciple to be.
Second, choosing the best means that we must listen to the right voice. In the text it is clear that Mary was able to clearly hear God’s voice because of her position. Martha may have been able to catch some of what Jesus was saying but because her focus was elsewhere she most likely couldn’t hear as well as Mary.
Third, choosing the best means that we must set priorities and not falling prey to distractions. Mary’s priority was listening to Christ. Martha’s priority was serving others. Is serving others a bad thing? Of course not! Serving others is a good thing but at that moment it wasn’t the best thing. We are told that Mary “chose good part” which means decided to do the “better” or “best” thing…Mary made a choice, she knew there was other things that needed to be done, but she purposefully didn’t do those things. Instead, she went and sat at the feet of Jesus. I can’t think of anything better than for a disciple to be sitting at the feet of Jesus soaking up every word that He spoke, so I think “best” is the best meaning behind “good part”.
When you stop and think about it…how many of us get so encumbered by activities that are good but they are not the best. Today I want to spend more time at the feet of Jesus, actively listening for His voice. I just can’t imagine that there is anything better for us to do! And after we hear His voice we will then be able to better follow His directions.
Just a thought!
Will
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