Don’t you want to be a strong, faithful Christian? We all do. We all want to feel, as Adam and Eve must have felt in the Garden of Eden, that we “walk with God.” We want to live above sin. We want to be the “Rock of Gibraltar” in our personal, spiritual lives, to be beyond temptation perfectly in control of our mouths and our attitudes, our hearts and our tempers.
What’s stopping you? It’s not easy living a Christian life in this world, is it? It’s not easy to be strong. Not only are there temptations thrown at us by Satan from every direction, seemingly non-stop against which we have a hard time fighting. But also, we live in a physical world with physical needs. We have to have money to live. We need food on the table. We need electricity to power our homes. We need clothes on our backs, sometimes special types of clothes, uniforms that cost a little more than normal clothes.
How can you be a strong, faithful Christian in this ungodly, sinful world? Mary & Martha were sisters of Lazarus, the one whom Jesus loved and the one He raised from the dead. They lived in Bethany, close to the Mount of Olives. This was 2-3 miles from Jerusalem. They are also mentioned in John 11 (the raising of Lazarus) and John 12 (the anointing of the feet of Jesus).
FIRST, WHAT IS A “MARY HEART”? – vs 39
What an honor it would be to have Jesus in your home! Jesus came into their home and began teaching. Jesus could not help but teach. It is in His nature to teach. He had a lot to say; He had a lot to teach; He had a lot of wisdom to share. He comes into His friends’ home and begins teaching.
Mary’s heart led her to sit at the Lord’s feet and listen to His word. I, too, would have been glad to do that very thing. You would too. I would love to ask Jesus questions about the OT prophets. I would love to ask Him if certain passages that I believe point to Him truly do point to Him.
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A “Mary” heart does not forget/refuse to serve. It was Mary who anointed the feet of Jesus with the very costly perfume of pure nard – John 12:3.
But a “Mary heart” wants to learn. A “Mary heart” wants to be in worship. It wants to sing praises to God until your throat is dry. A “Mary heart” wants to read the Bible through from Genesis to Revelation as often as possible. A “Mary heart” wants to be absorbed in the teaching of God’s word until you lose track of time. A “Mary heart” wants to probe the intricate mysteries and treasures hidden in the precious word of God. A “Mary heart” wants to make every effort to show itself approved of God, a workman that does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the Word of Truth (2 Timothy 2:15).
A “Mary heart” loves to teach the stories of the OT – the stories of Noah & the Flood, Abraham and Sarah, Joseph being sold into Egypt, King David and how he handled his problems in life. A “Mary heart” loves to teach the stories of Jesus in the Gospels, the history of the church in the book of Acts. A “Mary heart” loves to feed on the word of God.
A “Mary heart” loves to spend time in prayer. To talk to the Father. To pour out your heart’s thanksgivings to the Father for all the blessings, small and big that He gives us each day. A “Mary heart” believes that there are many joys that are still yet to be provided and enjoyed by God’s children. A “Mary heart” understands that the Father is anxiously awaiting for us to ask Him for His help and a “Mary heart” is anxious to lay out its desires before the Father, asking Him to help someone who is struggling with a chronic illness, to bless someone who just received word of a terminal disease, to comfort someone who has lost a beloved family member, to guide someone who has lost his way. A “Mary heart” knows the power of the prayer of a righteous Christian and the “Mary heart” loves to do that very thing.
Do you have a “Mary heart”? I know you do, but too often, we find ourselves living in a “Martha world”! We’ll look at Martha tomorrow…
–Paul Holland
