Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving… But the Lord answered, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” – Luke 10:39, 40a – 42
John 11:2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair.
John 12:3 Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
This story of Mary and Martha I have heard multiple times. In fact, I have even taught on it myself. However, back in September, at a ladies’ conference, when this verse was spoken, the Lord highlighted something I had not focused on before. “Mary has chosen the good portion which will not be taken from her.” Perhaps this won’t hit you the same way it did me, perhaps it will. But, I know the voice of the Lord well enough to know He was working something in my spirit about this. The one thing that is necessary is choosing the good portion.
The power of choice. We live in a world that wants us to believe that so much is outside of our control. There is also a victim mentally that is pervading our human experiences. Now, don’t get me wrong, there are things outside of our control and there undoubtedly are true victims. However, the spirit of the world wants to strip us of our God-given freedoms and hold us captive to lies. We absolutely can choose our thoughts, emotions, and actions. It is by the power of our own choice that God’s mercy and grace saves us; when we say yes to His calling. Joshua 24:15 “choose this day whom you will serve.”
When the rich young ruler came to Jesus asking about eternal life, he felt justified that he had kept all the commandments since childhood. However, Jesus pointed out to him that he still lacked one thing – the power of choice, to chose “the good portion”. Luke 18:22 “When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack…”
David was aware of this truth as shown here in Psalm 27:4 “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after…” David understood putting his choices into action. It is not enough to say the right thing or to even have “good intentions”. James states this clearly, “so whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, to him it is sin.” Also, “be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves… but the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” (James 1:222, 25 & 4:17)
God has given us clear lines – the way of life and the way of death. The way of blessing and the way of cursing. Deuteronomy 30:19 “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore, choose life, that you and your children may live.” The power of choice.
Today is the day. Now is the moment. Choose! Joshua 24:15 “…choose this day whom you will serve,” Psalm 17:15 “As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness,” Psalm 119:30 “I have chosen the way of faithfulness, I set your rules before me.”
The second part of that scripture about Mary: “…which will not be taken from her.” The world may try to strip us of our many God-given rights. However, there is a choice that no one can take away from us: the good portion.
I Peter 1:3b – 5 “According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
Romans 8:38-39 “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Our hope, our confidence, our promise in Jesus cannot be taken from us. Every moment of every day as we choose Jesus, the good portion, will not be taken from us! We can rest assured in Him!
And Jesus said to him, “why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.” Mark 10:18
Jesus is God. God is good. All the time!