For many, years, and many times, I have shared the example of Mary and Martha from Luke 10.
38Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. 39She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word. 40But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up [to Him] and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.” 41But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; 42but [only] one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:38-42
In this foundational example we find Jesus in the home of those, we are told elsewhere, He loved, and who loved Him. But at this particular time we see a clear example of two kinds of believers. 1) Those that are concerned with doing something for the Lord and serving what they see as the need of the moment. And, 2) Those that want to hear from Him first. They want to get to know Him and hear Him, so they may serve Him as He wants and do what He desires.
Notice that Martha was “distracted” with all “her” preparations (literally much service). She was trying to serve, this made obvious in her question when she says (Mary) has left all me to do all the “serving” alone. But, her desire to do something, to serve, out of her own initiation and motives (flesh), not at His word, has resulted in frustration. And, more than that, it has distracted her from knowing Him and hearing Him.
Jesus, in His reply, gives revelation on how to have eternal impact in what you do, whenever you may do it. He says Martha is worried and bothered about many things. But, Jesus says really one thing is needed/required/demanded.
Wow! Listen up! Here is the one thing required in His service. And in revealing it He calls it the good/beneficial/useful/excellent/happy/distinguishable/honorable “part”. Part; that is something set apart and distinguished from the whole, an assigned portion or share. And this, He says, shall not be taken away from her (Mary). And, the indication is more than just it will not, but that it cannot, never, be taken away or removed.
To my mind, that indicates what she chose works an eternal service, and it will make what she does, as a result, have lasting, if not eternal, impact.
So, what is it that Mary has chosen? The intimacy of “being seated at His feet listening to His word!”
She has taken a place seated, that is near or beside Jesus. The scripture uses the term at the “Lord’s” feet. She recognized Him as the master, owner that has control, the one with power, he that decides, sovereign. And she takes a place of humility at His feet; it is the footstool position, the place of the vanquished, the place of the disciple. But, it is also a place of intimacy near and beside Him. She is giving Him an audience, listening to understand and perceive His purpose, desire, direction, teaching. The indication is listening to learn by hearing. And, she is listening to His word (logos), His living voice! She wants to hear His sayings, His teaching, His decree or mandate or order. She wants to know Him first so she can serve Him, second if you will, as He desires. Not out of her own initiative, desires, or what she thinks is right, or perceives to be His need.
Why go over this passage again? Because most believers are focused on doing something for Him. Rather than being with Him, IN Him, and out of intimacy with Him, being under His feet the fullness of Him who fills all in all as His body (Ephesians 1:22-23), co-laboring with Him in what He is doing.
The doing comes out of being with and in Him. In Mark 3 we read the ordaining of the disciples to be sent out (apostles). Jesus had been healing the sick and casting out demons, and the crowds were growing and pressing in upon him for what they could get/receive from Him. He had his followers prepare a boat to put some distance between Himself and the crowd and as a way of escape. And, finally, He went to the mountain to be alone, and then summoned the disciples.
13And He went up on the mountain and summoned those whom He Himself wanted, and they came to Him. 14And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He [could] send them out to preach, 15and to have authority to cast out the demons.
Mark 3:13-15
Note that he summoned or called them, and they responded in obedience. He then appointed them, that they should BE WITH HIM, and that He could/would SEND THEM OUT TO PREACH AND HAVE AUTHORITY to cast out demons.
Again, like Mary, they heard His voice summoning them and they came. And out of being with Him, came doing with or co-laboring with Him. Out of being with or near Him, intimacy with Him, came being sent out, that is being apostolic, and manifesting His authority/Lordship. Being with Him, in Him, is the foundation for doing/co-laboring in anything He is doing. Their being sent out with authority and doing came out of, was the result of, the outgrowth of, being with Him. There is no other way. You can read a parallel event in Luke 6: 12-13
As I mentioned last week: Know what to speak, when to speak, what to do, and when to do it. Listen to the Spirit and move in His power/enabling for effective ministry. Move in the flesh and your words and deeds fall to the ground without the mix of power and love. Hearing Him, being with Him makes all the difference. You will be doing at His initiative, not your own.
Let me flesh out my use of “apostolic” here for understanding. I am not a Greek scholar, but my understanding is that the New Testament term means one sent forth with orders; simply a messenger set apart as delegate on a mission
In recent times there has been much discussion and teaching on the Ephesians 4:11 so called ascension gifts, or what I refer to as ministry gifts and their functions in the Church. In fact, perhaps too much emphasis on, and too many calling themselves, apostles or apostolic. But, that is another subject for another time. My use of the term today is aimed at all of us who are seeking to co-labor in/with Him. There is a sense where I believe we are all called to be apostolic. That is sent out with orders, delegates of the Kingdom, ambassadors on a mission. (It would be good, in my mind, if we understood the aforementioned ministry gift/ascension gift of an apostle to the church as one that equips saints… to manifest Jesus corporately, and understand their being sent out as His delegates.)
I don’t think it is any coincidence in Mark 3 and Luke 6 that calling the disciples, and consequently sending them out, came out of Jesus going to the mountain to pray. He too, in His ministry on earth, was dependent upon being intimately directed by His Father.
19Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.
John 5:19
This indicates just how important that fellowship/koinonia with the Father is, and that it is at the heart of the eternal purpose of God. We need to be listening and asking what is appropriate in each mission/ministry/apostolic situation and comprehending/seeing “What is it that the Father is doing?” and then co-laboring with Him to do that.
Here is God the Son, who humbled Himself to take on the form of man and become a bond-servant to the Father, and to you and me (Philippians 2), who makes it clear not even He can do anything of Himself, but does only what He sees the Father doing. If we are the body of Christ, the fullness of Him, Jesus, will we not follow the same model?
Luke 10:16-42 we see the seventy sent out and in vs 21-22 Jesus rejoicing at their return. Not just in their victory, but in the revelation of the Father to “infants”. Then, the good Samaritan who did the will of the Father when those following rote and religion would not. And, then, Martha & Mary contrasting serving out of our own interest and initiative with serving out of getting to know Him in fellowship/koinonia first.
22“All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”
Luke 10:22
Jesus rejoices at the 70’s return. But it is not just that all things have been handed over and that He sees Satan falling, but that the Father has revealed the Son to His own and to principalities and powers. And, that the Son revealing the Father empowers and changes the powerless into overcomers in Him.
Our nature is to follow the rote design and our plans, or our experience and training, rather than develop the breathing relationship needed with the living God to work in His purpose. The model of Jesus was a ministry style that was totally dependent on the revelation of the Father. It was life-style ministry on the edge that frightens us because it requires relinquishing self-control and self-initiative, to live and to do under His Lordship, His control, and in His yoke.
By the way, I will mention from Mark 3 and Luke 6, before I conclude, that it is obviously not enough to be “around” Jesus, or simply seek Him for what He can do/provide for you. That is the place the multitudes and crowds that pressed in on Him in these passages. To be equipped and sent out by Him requires being “with” Him.
And for the sake of balance, I will say: Yes intimacy and hearing from Him is the one thing needed….so you may then do/serve as He desires. However, the greatest of revelation from Him is fruitless without the doing that comes out from being with Him. Obedience to co-labor with Him and to do what He asks as He sends you out is part and parcel with His revelation of what He is doing. Yes, we will fail at times. Yet, He is faithful even when we are faithless.