Today I want to take a closer look at the life of a woman we meet in the Bible. She seems to have this “intimacy with God” thing figured out about as well as anyone. Her name is Mary. And the interesting thing about Mary is where you often find her in relation to Jesus in various accounts in the Bible. She is often sitting at His feet
At His feet in sorrow
John 11: 32, “Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”
Mary expressed her disappointment and lack of understanding. “Lord, if You had just shown up when we needed You, this wouldn’t have happened.” If we’re honest, many of us have felt the same way:
-- “Lord, why didn’t You show up and save the day?”
-- “Why did You let my marriage fall apart?”
-- “Lord, why did you let my loved one die?”
-- "Lord, why did you let my business go under?”
Yet, by positioning herself at His feet, she expressed her continuing regard for Him as her Lord and Savior. There are times when we experience a crisis or a trial and we can look back on it later and see the reason for it or what we gained from it. But there are also trials in life that we have a hard time understanding on this side of glory:
1. “Why did my child have to die?’
2. “Why was I born with this condition or disease?”
3. “Why hasn’t the Lord healed me or taken me to Heaven?”
But, like Mary, I’ve seen too much of my Savior’s power, provision, and goodness to start second-guessing Him now! Mary had seen the miracles, been transformed by His teaching, and forever touched by His love. So, even though she didn’t understand what He was doing (or not doing) now, she still placed herself at His feet.
Jesus shares our pain
John 11: 33 – 35, “Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. 34 And He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept.”
I find it interesting that, although Lazarus’ death had been God’s will -- and even though Jesus knew that He was getting ready to raise him from the dead… He still cried at the tomb. Why? I believe He was moved by the pain of those He loved. Friends, there are times in our life when we face tragedy, loss of loved ones, bitter disappointments, and heartaches. We pray for a situation to end one way and it becomes apparent that God willed something else to happen. Or someone else refuses to cooperate with God’s will and your life is affected. But don’t EVER think that God is oblivious or insensitive to our pain! I believe that we serve a God that still mourns with His children in times of pain and longs to comfort us and pull us close until the storm passes!
Psalm 34: 18 - 19, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”
Jesus brings comfort and healing to those who sit at His feet in their time of need. I’m just wondering if there is someone here today who is reeling from a loss and tired of trying to manage life in your own strength alone. Jesus says in Matthew 11: 28, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” I’m just wondering if there’s someone today who is broken-hearted and wounded by another. Psalm 147: 3, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Come and sit at the feet of Jesus and let Him put the pieces of your life back together. Let Him guide you down the paths of peace and hope
At His feet enjoying His presence
Luke 10: 38 – 42, “Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” 41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
Martha opened her home to Jesus and did her best to be a good hostess. Mary, on the other hand, opened her heart to Jesus and tried her best just to love the Lord. Last month, I preached a sermon on how Jesus came to bring us into a relationship versus just having us maintain a religion or ritual. But I just want to reiterate that thought today by pointing out how sometimes we get all caught up in the pretense of RELIGION and we miss the joy of the RELATIONSHIP. We can be fully engrossed in “religious stuff” and not experience the joy that we are intended to have from a relationship with God. You can be on every ministry team the church has. You can be involved in Sunday school AND small groups. You can be a deacon or an elder. You can be on staff as the youth director, children’s director, or preacher. But be so busy with the religious stuff that you neglect the RELATIONSHIP that fuels the passion for what you’re doing! In our zeal to serve the Lord, we wind up IGNORING Him!
Religion without relationship over a period of time can result in…
-- Ministry burnout
-- Obedience out of GUILT, rather than GRATITUDE
-- ROUTINE and RITUAL, rather than JOY and PASSION
In this passage, while Martha labored, Mary listened. She found a place of stillness at the feet of Jesus. Today, I ask you (and I’m speaking especially to those who have walked with the Lord for many years now), I’m talking to elders, deacons, staff members, ministry leaders, charter members, and folks that are here every time the doors of this place are open. QUESTION: How is your RELATIONSHIP? How often do you just open the Word and spend time in prayer – merely to just sit at Jesus’ feet and enjoy His presence? Are you a MARY? – Who loves to simply spend time in God’s presence... Or are you a MARTHA? – So distracted by the urgency of life and secondary things that you neglect that which is most important?
Church, I want us all to experience the JOY of living life with the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit as our daily guide, companion, confidant, provider, protector, and friend. Sit at His feet in quiet moments, not out of guilt or obligation, but out of thanksgiving, love, adoration, amazement, awe, and wonder.
At His feet in worship
John 12: 1 – 8, “Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. 2 There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. 3 Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. 4 But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, 5 “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denari and given to the poor?” 6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. 7 But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. 8 For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.”
Let me take a moment to set the scene for you. It’s interesting to note that Lazarus was seated at the table with Jesus. This is the same Lazarus that Jesus had raised from the dead. Wouldn’t you have loved to have been able to sit at that table and a part of that conversation?
-- “So, Lazarus, what was it like to be dead for three days?”
Martha was, where else, serving and doing all she could do to make the occasion special. There were others present as well. Judas is one of the disciples mentioned by name. IIt’s reasonable to assume that other disciples, if not all 12 were present. And Mary is taking it all in. Perhaps she was watching Jesus conversing with Lazarus and her mind goes back to that day when Jesus called into the tomb and raised His friend back to life. Perhaps she was reflecting upon the truths He had taught her and modeled so perfectly in His own life. Perhaps the thought hit her that, in that VERY ROOM was the Son of God, the Promised Messiah, the Lord of Lords! Perhaps she thought, I must do SOMETHING MORE than merely saying, “Thanks,” or saying, “I love you. I must make an OFFERING to SHOW Him how I feel.”
I like to imagine that she immediately knew what to do – the jar! I picture Mary quietly getting up from her seat and slipping out of the room. She returns with an alabaster jar. Inside that alabaster jar was a pound of very expensive perfume called spikenard. Nard was very valuable and most of it was imported from the Himalayan region of India. (This was no Hai Karate or Old Spice in this jar!) It has been estimated that, in today’s currency, the contents of the jar would have been worth between 15 - 20 THOUSAND dollars! That could have easily been a YEAR’S WAGES in that bottle!
Perhaps the contents of that jar represented everything she once thought was important. Perhaps she bought that jar as an investment, planning to sell it one day as it increased in price and make a profit. But now, in the midst of her Savior’s presence, the only logical thing to do with it was to pour it out as an offering.
2 Samuel 24: 24, “…I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing…"
I picture everyone talking and laughing as Mary enters the room with her jar. But the conversation begins to trail off and heads turn in her direction as Mary kneels before Her Savior. “What is she doing?” they likely wondered. The room becomes quiet as Mary poured the perfume upon His feet in a beautiful act of worship. I wonder if a gasp was heard as she cast the caution of “a little dab’l do ya” aside and poured out the ENTIRE CONTENTS upon Jesus.
In that moment, Judas can’t help himself. He speaks up and chastises this seemingly foolish woman for “wasting” the entire contents – emptying the entire jar – when it could have been used for so many other things. But, instead of rebuking Mary, Jesus rebukes Judas. He then goes on to point out that Mary has discovered what is most important -- seizing the opportunities we have to worship at the feet of Jesus. Let’s take a moment and meditate upon what that beautiful act of worship at the feet of Jesus must have been like…
As she poured the perfume on the feet of her Savior, the aroma filled the entire room. The whole house was filled with the fragrance, not just the room in which they were seated. Her gift had an effect on everyone who was present. Likewise, when we give ourselves to Jesus the aroma is powerful. When a congregation is made up of committed Christians who are willing to give everything they have to Jesus, the scent is inviting. That’s the power of corporate worship – letting aroma of our praise fill this room.
And the scriptures tell us that she dried His feet with her hair. So one could imply that the aroma had a lingering effect upon both Jesus and her for days to come. I’ve noticed that, after chopping onions, I can smell the onions on my hands even the next day after showering and washing my hands. Likewise, the time we spend at the feet of Jesus in worship and surrender has a lingering effect upon us – the aroma of His presence lingers.
At His feet in need of salvation
As Christ’s ministry on earth was reaching its fulfillment at the cross of Calvary, we again find Mary at the feet of Jesus
John 19: 25, “Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.”
In order to have eternal life, we must all place ourselves at the feet of Jesus, beneath the cross.
John 1: 12, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
Today, if you've never placed yourself at the feet of Jesus, seeking salvation, we're going to offer an invitation to do just that. There is no other place where you can find salvation. There's no place better to be than at the feet of Jesus.
