Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Mar/63

Contributor - A.J. Boeve

Title - The One Thing Needful

Topic - Busyness

"AND JESUS ANSWERED AND SAID UNTO HER, MARTHA, MARTHA, THOU ART CAREFUL AND TROUBLED ABOUT MANY THINGS: BUT ONE THING IS NEEDFUL: AND MARY HAS CHOSEN THAT GOOD PART, WHICH SHALL NOT BE TAKEN AWAY FROM HER". Luke 10: 41, 42.

While He was here upon earth Jesus Christ had no home that He could call His own. On one occasion He said, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man doesn't have a place to lay His head". There was, however, one place where Jesus could frequently be found. That was the home of Martha and Mary and their brother Lazarus. It was to this home in Bethany, a town located some two miles from Jerusalem, that Jesus often went for rest and relaxation. He was deeply loved and greatly appreciated by the members of that family.

The two sisters in that family were poles apart in character. Martha was the active, practical type of woman. The indication is that she managed the household well and was an excellent cook. In contrast, Mary was the quiet, meditative type of woman. She was highly emotional and very demonstrative in her love for Jesus. She could sit at His feet for hours and listen to His words of wisdom and truth.

As the scene described in our text unfolds, we find the two sisters cast in their respective roles. Martha is busy preparing the meal. She is bustling back and forth, doing her best to see to it that everything is in order and proceeding according to schedule. Mary is sitting at the Master's feet listening to what He has to say. So engrossed is she in what Jesus is saying, that she is oblivious to all else around her. Suddenly, Martha comes to Jesus and says, perhaps a little crossly, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to serve alone ? Tell her to help me".

In response to this outburst, Jesus rebukes Martha with the words, "Martha, Martha, you are busy and troubled about many things; but one thing is needful". He follows this with a word of commendation for Mary, "Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken from her".

We must not conclude from these words of Jesus that Martha was not a true believer. We must not think that she did not love the Lord. Perhaps she loved Him as much as did Mary, but she displayed her love in a different way. Martha was a woman of exceedingly great faith in Christ and His power. This became quite evident at the time of the death and resurrection of Lazarus. He had been dead already for four days when Jesus finally arrived in Bethany. Upon being informed of His coming, Martha ran out to meet Him. She said, "Lord, if you had been here our brother would not have died". It was then that Jesus replied, "I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die". Then Jesus looked at Martha and asked, "Do you believe this ?" Martha's answer was a glorious confession of her faith in Jesus. She said, "Yes Lord, I believe that Thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world". A most magnificent confession of faith!

Martha loved Jesus. She had a genuine faith in Him. But in saying to Jesus, "Lord do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone ? Tell her to help me?', she was guilty of sitting in judgment upon her sister. She made the mistake of placing more value upon what she was doing for Jesus than upon what Mary was doing. She was guilty of forgetting that there was a more important hunger than physical hunger, that being spiritual hunger or hunger of the soul.

It was this hunger that Mary was seeking to satisfy by sitting at the feet of Jesus and listening to His words of wisdom. Mary had chosen that good part. She was doing the one thing needful - sitting at the feet of Jesus and learning from Him - enjoying fellowship and sweet communion with her Lord.

This, my readers, is the one thing needful. It is the one thing needful because it is the only thing that can and will in the final analysis bring real happiness and lasting satisfaction. It is the one thing needful if one is to taste of eternal life. It is that good part that shall not be taken from us. Not even the devil can take it from us. It will be ours even beyond the grave. In fact, this will be one of the glories of heaven - to meet Jesus face to face, to learn of Him, to enjoy perfect fellowship and communion with Him forever and forever.

How we today need to lay to heart both Christ's rebuke to Martha and His commendation of Mary. We are living in a highly activistic age. Life moves along at a rapid rate of speed. Everyone is extremely busy. This activism has become a part of the church, especially on our North American continent. Weekday church meetings multiply. Social events in the church are on the increase. There is the danger, that in the midst of all our church activities, we do not take time for the one thing needful to sit at the feet of Jesus and learn from Him. There is the danger that we neglect our quiet times, our times of Bible reading, meditation, and prayer.

Readers, there is nothing in this world as important as sitting at the feet of Jesus to learn from Him.

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