The contrast between Martha's industriousness with Mary's devotion, highlighting Jesus's affirmation of Mary's choice to sit at his feet and learn. While Martha was troubled about many things and focused on outward service, Mary chose the "good part" of spiritual attentiveness. The message emphasizes that true spiritual nourishment comes from prioritizing time with Christ over worldly concerns, using Mary's act of anointing Jesus's feet as a profound example of costly devotion and love. This dedication, though misunderstood by some, is presented as a valuable and enduring act that pleases God and serves as a memorial.
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Shall we turn to Luke chapter ten? Luke chapter ten. And verse forty-one. Luke ten and forty-one. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha. Thou art careful and trouble about many days, but one thing is needful, and Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her.
And it should have begun at verse thirty-eight. Let's go back to verse thirty-eight. Now it came to pass as a hint that he entered into a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha received him into a house, and she had a sister, called Mary. It also sat at Jesus' feet and furthest words. But Martha was humbled about much further. He came to him and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister had let me to serve alone? Said her therefore that she had me. And Jesus answered in prayer, And Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things, but one thing is neither.
Mary had chosen that good part and shall not be taken away from her. Now we'll see what John has to say over in John chapter twelve. John takes off where Luke left off. John chapter twelve. Verse one. Then these are six days before the Passover came to Bethany. Where Lazarus was, which had been dead, was he raised from the dead. There they made him a supper, and mocked a slave. And Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.
Then he took Mary a pound of ointment as quite now a very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair, and the house was filled with the old anointment. Then he says, one of his disciples, Jesus' chariot, Simon's son, who should betray him, why was not this ointment so for three hundred tenths and given to the poor? If he said not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the bag and there what was put there in. Then he said, Jesus, let her alone. is going to know, Against the day of my burying, hath he kept it.
For the poor always he hath not only, but many have not only. But people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there, and they prayed not for Jesus sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead. It's very interesting in reading the sentiment, and all four doctrines, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, refer to the incident relative to Martha and Mary. It's very strange that not neither Matthew, Martin, or Luke refers to that Greek miracle, the raising of Lazarus, but they do refer to the Martha and Mary incident.
That's very significant. who want this morning to speak mostly on the three members of this wonderful household. You will find in reading the record of this incident, you will find Mary sat at his feet to learn. When she took to his feet per feet, well done it I. When she came at his feet per day, her wife, Here's a little summary of this remarkable woman, Mary. Mary was a member of a family of three, Martha, Mary, and Lazarus.
She had a real attraction and an affection and a devotion for the Lord Jesus Christ. It's very significant and remarkable that after the Lord Jesus left this home of Nazareth, But at the age of thirty, he started as public minister. And we have no evidence that he ever went back to Nazareth, and yet he had four brothers in the flesh and at least two sisters. Yet he never went back to the old hometown for a time of relaxation, meditation, or hospitality. That's a strange thing.
for he found a very hospitable home in Bethany. And time and time again you find the Lord Jesus in Bethany. And so there was something about this home in Bethany that the Lord Jesus liked, even putting this family ahead of his own flesh and blood. Isn't that strange? Well, I can tell you. I have an unscathed brother up in Canada, and I have a few nephews and nieces. When I go to Canada, I'm just not happy. I cannot talk to my brother about spiritual things.
He'll talk on any other subject. But if I bring up being saved or knowing Christ is planned right up, and I can speak to two folks here who are saved, Christians, and in short, I go to Christian homes and I enjoy that fellowship, there's a warm atmosphere there. But when you go to the home of even your own kin folks who do not know Christ, there's nothing in common with a joyous spirit. This is a strange thing, isn't it? Even the Lord Jesus recognized that. Why his own kin folks took them out to the plough of the hill and were going to throw them off?
But here he could come to the little town of Bethany. And there were three in that family, Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, and the Lord felt right at home. They must have been the very affluent home. You read about the many guests who went there. They just stopped from Jerusalem and other places to Bethany. When Lazarus died, And it wouldn't have done that, had not been a very popular family. Then the sumptuous peace they put on. And then the test of ointment, that was used right now.
There must have been a fluence there, and generally the chief little house in that little village. And we read that. Now it came the path as they went that he entered into a certain village, and a certain woman said, named Martha, received him into her house. It must have been her house. You have the three, Martha, Mary, and Leslie. Martha evidently was kind of the head of the house. She's the one that took the lead. And it's the only time in the Bible you find the Lord Jesus using a woman's name twice, Martha.
So here you have this remarkable family. She was very hospitable, that's quite evident, Martha. Lightness is a very good cook, and she was a good waitress. And so you find her on this occasion. And he's working upon the law. I would believe in reading the incident that she must have met the Lord at the door along with Mary. After the death of a brother, undoubtedly she was saddened. Then this incident took place.
Death of Lazarus in chapters eleven. Now you have chapter twelve open with his feet. And the Lord goes, I can she that both Martha and Mary may be Lazarus, madam of the Lord. They all gave them a welcome. But during the course of the conversation, Martha slipped back the kitchen. And that Mary sitting in the seat. You find that very clearly. And you see that in that verse. It says, Martha had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet and heard his word.
Circumstantial, the two of them were sitting there. Also, Martha and Mary. But although she was meditated, just like Mary, she thought something should have to be done. We've got to wait upon these people. Announce this treat. The Lord is here. So Martha makes for the kitchen. And she began to begin to prepare for the meal. I don't know how far long she got, but she became irritated. She became perplexed and entered worry. And she leaves the kitchen. She comes into the front room.
And she's quite upset. The Lord has heard some place. she says to the Lord, just thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone. And then she tells the Lord, he commands, he commands, and you bid her to come back and help me. Well, she's kind of excited and upset, irritated. She even reduced the Lord. And she commands him to tell her sister, go and back in the kitchen and do the thing. I wonder what was in Martha's mind.
Maybe she thought now, if Mary would only come back and help me in the kitchen, and we get all this work done, then the truth has been tripped down together and enjoy the ministry of the Lord Jesus. Whether that was in her mind, we know not. For we do know one day the Lord of Jesus. It's nice that you read that. I think we read it over in Luke ten and verse forty. But Martha was combered about much early and came to him and said, Lord, if thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone, hither therefore that she held me.
And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful. and troubled about many things. Not just one. Many things. But one thing is needful, and Mary has chosen that good things which shall not be taken away from her. I don't know how many things Mary had on her mind or martyr on her. The Lord must have known them if he knows the minds of all men. He says, you're upset about many things, Martha. Chonders, distressed, and that word really means disturbed.
Although the Lord was sitting in the front room with Mary at his feet, he knew what was going on in the kitchen. He knew that Martha was back there, critical and complaining and upset. And a lot of things running and rushing through her mind were very complimentary. And so the Lord reads it to her. All right, Martha, what you're doing is good, and I appreciate it. And it seems to have a tender touch when he says, Martha, Martha. You're kind of excited, disturbed about many things.
But Mary, your sister, has chosen the best. And I'm not going to tell her to go back to the kitchen and help you. Well, that's what he says. That's all right, Martha. I like your meals. I like hospitality. You have a very clean home here. It's all arranged. And you're a good manager. But there's one thing that comes before all that. and that is the spirit in life. Martha, you're concerned about the outward life. Mary's interested in the inward life. I don't think Mary was thinking about the dinner.
Martha was. Of course I've had a place too. But here is Mary, and she's sitting on his feet, and she's looking up into his face. And he is looking down into her face. From what he was saying, no one knows, if not recorded, what he was teaching on. But you see that the time reduced, he at least cares what he was doing. But there was a better thing. That was sitting at his feet, hearing his words.
They both did attend the same college at times. Those Saturdays speak on occasion. And there's the Mary's college at Jesus' seat. But it looks like that Mary loved it the most, more than Martha. And I think there's a point there. You'll do your house with a whole lot better and a whole lot happier with more electricity. if you spend time at his feet. How easy we get disturbed and upset by little things, because we didn't spend time at his feet prior to those duties.
And that's what Mary did, and that's what the Lord is teaching on this occasion. Martha was an industrial woman. There's no question about that. And she is careful about many things, but there's something more important. These three characters in this home had different personalities. And although Martha, as we've already said, was concerned about the hunts and the meal and all that went with it, she's a different personality than Mary. And both the sisters were different than Lazarus. We don't read of Lazarus saying a thing. It is quite possible that Martha was the elder of the three, then Mary, and Lazarus was the son, the young brother, rather.
But it says in opening of chapter twelve, and G is love, mother, Mary, and Lazar. Although they were different personalities, his love for them all was equal. And that's true. I believe he loved them. Martha back in the kitchen just as much as he loved Mary. But he appreciated Mary's desire to learn, her desire to be taught. This is an important thing in life. So he comes to Mary who talks about Martha.
She was a woman of sorrow. She knew something of that, but she was a woman of joy too. Why, when she ran to meet the Lord, and the Lord said, I am the resurrection and the life, and the Lord said to Martha, your brother shall rise again. I believe that Martha had her happy moment. Although on this occasion she seems a little fluctuated, yet I believe she had happy moments, just like Mary and just like Lansing. She had a happy moment. She wasn't always going around with a face like a prune.
I really believed there was those times when she was happy. She was really happy in her Lord, and they were her happiest times. So now we come to Mary. There are six Mary in the Bible. There's the Virgin Mary that gave us to them all. Then you have Mary Magdalene. You have Mary, the mother of James and John. You have Mary, the mother of John Mark. You have the Mary of Rome, mentioned in the sixteen chapter of Rome. She was a Gentile. That's quite unusual because Mary is a Jewish man. But you have a Gentile one in Rome, and she too is called Mary.
And then you have this one, Mary of Bethany. Mary is about the most familiar name among women. Just like John is, among men, you hear about more John or more Mary than almost any two other men. I was quite interested in this last week in reading that twenty-two years ago it was recorded that in the United States there were three million, seven hundred and twenty thousand Mary's in the United States. Imagine that. And fifty-one times Mary is mentioned in the New Testament.
And Mary has an everlasting remembrance. Here is this Mary of Bethany and the Lord said, Throughout the whole world, wherever so ever there's soft and mistreats, gifts that this woman has done shall be told as a memorial to her. The Lord Jesus told this Mary, and her name is held in everlasting remembrance. Mary. I don't know whether we have any Mary's here this morning, but it's a good name. Because if there's a Mary in the Bible, and I want to remember this a difference. There are two women in the Bible who anointed the feet of the Lord Jesus.
One's in chapter seven of Luke, the other's in chapter ten. Mary of Bethany's in chapter ten. But there's a woman in chapter seven. And what Mary is this? She has an unsavory reputation. A woman which was a sinner came in to Simon's house, and she breaks her alabaster box. On the feet of the Lord Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. Why did she do that? And she was a sinful woman. She had a citywide name, a bad name.
This woman's a sinner. Even a Pharisee. Now, if the Lord Jesus were a prophet, he would know who and what manner of woman this is that touched her. She's a sinner. Yes? She was at her feet breaking her alabaster box. Why? Because she forgave for her sins. And she broke her box out of gratitude for sin's forgiveness. But when you come to Mary of Bethany, it wasn't for the forgiveness of sins. Here is her gratitude because the Lord raised her brother from the dead.
And also because she knew he was going to die, as her Savior, and rise again for the Lord says, She hath anointed my body in view of the burial. This Mary and Bethany was a spiritual-minded woman. The one in Luke two was just a sinful and just saved. She knew there isn't it? She was in the midst of the resurrection. That wasn't in her gratitude when she built her box. All she thought about and all her many sins were forgiven. But this Mary of Bethany had a gratitude for the Lord raising her brother.
And had a gratitude for what he was going to do. When he would die for her and die again. How wonderful to see these various Mary... in our Bible. Mary of Bethany. I wonder what she thinks about this dear soul. A lot of things are said about Mary of Bethany and how she took her alabaster box, and that was priceless. A dog speaks of it weighing a pound. Loose speaks of it being precious, precious, and costly. And it must have been costly.
And here is Mary, the scholar, and sitting at the streets. That's where the students used to sit, before the rabbis. Even the Apostle Paul, he sat at the feet of Gamaliel, that great scholar of his days. And David sat before the Lord and heard his voice. And now here is Mary. She's sitting at his feet. She's a wonderful woman. Oh, how difficult he would be assisting, but he spent time at his funeral. How the gratitude and we, too, can add the two memories together.
How the gratitude for him putting me on our sins. Another gratitude and thanks for some of the things and miracles he performed in our lives in answering our prayers. Another gratitude, too, for the fact that he come in that some day and take us up to do with himself. We have many reasons why we should break down alabaster box upon our Lord Jesus Christ. He was up to think of how effective Mary was. She was an effective evangelist, true to one of his three, to read this.
Then many of the Jews would change to Mary. and had seen the things that Jesus did believe on him. Here were those who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ because of their visit with Mary. She must have had a lot to say. She was sitting at her seat hearing his words and how she used those words as a witness to others. Many believed and the Lord Jesus because of Mary. She was an ecstatic evangelist. Every child of God is an evangelist. This is a message undoubtedly, primarily to the lady whom this will say.
She was a great giver, a gracious giver. She gave her costly box of ointment, but she was criticized for it. One looking on was Judas. He says, why was this weight? that was the ointment made. This should have been sold for three hundred pence. And those things, a penny a day was the wage. A man got a penny for a day's worth. Three hundred pence. That's a year's worth. Three hundred working days.
This is what she paid. for that drop of alabaster ointment, the most precious ointment which came out of Egypt, how grateful she was for what the Lord did for her. And as we already mentioned, the fragrance of what she did has floated down the centuries, not only filled the house when she broke that ointment, it filled the ages Whoever this gospel is preached, if all through which this woman has done, shall be told as a moral affair. So the fragrance of devotion, the fragrance of consecration, the fragrance of dedication.
Here it is, one soul. How little does she know, while sitting there humbly at his feet, that she's going to be talked about, down the church age, already two thousand years, and on into eternity? How wonderful it was on this occasion. You'll notice those wonderful words too. Then took Mary a pound of ointment of pipe nod very costly and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair and the house was filled with the odor of the oil sump. So it was very costly, very costly.
that it must be broken. No good inside the box. No fragrance inside the box. So it must be broken. And she drank it. And the fragrance was said. Everyone in the house inhaled the fragrance of that devoted soul. And the Lord discerned its value. He made it very plain against the day of my burial. Has she done this? Mary, why didn't you wait for that day? It was six days before the Passover and after the day Passover he died. Mary, why didn't you wait till after he died and when he came out of the tomb you came to come with those other ladies?
Why didn't you wait for them and anoint this body? No, says Mary, I'm going to anoint this body now. I'm going to let him enjoy the fragrance of this appointment now. If I poured it on his party after he rose from the dead, he wouldn't get a whiff of it. I'm going to give him my devotion now. It's nice to see a lot of flowers at funeral. It'd be more wonderful that those flowers of thanks and appreciation were given while the person was alive. Some people I've known.
They're glad that person died. There was bitterness in the heart. They didn't love him. But they sent flowers. Now little things and Mary says, I'm not going to wait till he's a corpse. I'm going to break my box now. I want him to enjoy it while he's alive. And that's what the Lord appreciates. How wonderful. It must be built. And it was discerned by the Lord. He sought through that. But it was misunderstood.
Why was this waste of the ointment made? But the Lord, he praised it. He says, she has lot of good work on me. He tried it. Wheresoever there is a street. they're going to tell about this woman who drank her Elabaster box at my feet. Dedication to Christ was not waste. Jesus didn't see the significance. Why was this waste? Or was it made? Why we could have got three hundred pence and look at what we could have done for the poor folks.
with that three hundred tenths. This woman is poured that much at his feet. Yes, that's what a Judas drank. But dedication lasts more and longer than that. Think of the dedicated young men and young women today. And they've gone to the four corners of the earth and now the people do. Enduring hardship. Dedicated people. And many walks of life you find young men and young women and older people they're dead again. They're devoted. They're setting blessing wherever they're going.
Any dedication in the cause of Christ did not wait. Jesus said it walked. Show me a young mother who is dead again. dedicated to her children to bring up those two children to the nature and admonition of the Lord. That's not right. Those hours will reap great divinity. A devoted mother who devotes herself to her children to give them the knowledge of Christ and to bring them up in their atmosphere of the Christian of Christ.
Dedication will have a great harvest. And so God loves dedication. And as in this old case, this old case, dedication, consecration. How consecrated Mary was. I have consecrated thee now to thy service more. And the power of love divine. How we concentrate it. How we have it. There are four choices Mary had on this occasion. She could have used that box of ointment entirely on herself. She should have said, well, I had to save up a lot of money to get this.
It's precious. She had a wonderful vision. I'm going to pour it on myself. She could have done that. She had another choice. She could have thought of a loved one in the flesh, and then with a family or a close friend. I'll lavish her upon him or her. Four teachers said, well, I'll trade it around. I'll give some of the appointment to some of my friends and some of my relatives, and I'll include the Lord. I'll spread it around. No. She gave it.
sneedlessly to the Lord. He's got it all. And that's what he wants. The Lord doesn't want you to spread it all up around. It's so thin when you're spread it over so many people it's not deep anywhere. You're spread it out too thin. The Lord wants to sleep. Shake ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. How wonderful. There are four motives behind Mary, act on this occasion, or impulse.
What would it cause her to give this alabaster box, and give it all to him? Some thing, Reverend. It was no mere sentimental act, powering before an idol. This is the Son of God. This is God manifest in the flesh. He deserves my reverence, yes. Reverence was in that. Also gratitude for the blessings he'd already been to her amuti and that forever. That was in a ratchet.
was also in that act. Yes, faith, because she knew that this is my Redeemer, and he shall be my King forever. She wouldn't have done it had not been the element of the ingredient of faith. And love, yes, love strengthened all these previous things. Love, because she reverenced them. Love, because she knew who he was, and her gratitude and her faith enriched by her love. It's all wrapped up in one bundle of love.
What are the wonderful gifts that she gave? Will you apply this to Mary and these four marvelous traits of hers? She didn't latch it upon herself. It wasn't just lit service, lit worship. I must give it. No. She gave it. She didn't say, Lord, I love you. Oh, but Mary, you left that purple box of ointment back in your room. You can sit there all day and tell the Lord you love them. How about showing it? Go back and get that box.
And don't let them smell it. shedded upon them, gave them all. That's it. Nor was it cheap. It was costly. Nor did she give them pot. Quarter of it, she gave them all. Lose is the point. It had to be broken. She didn't bring that box in and show it to the Lord. Say, Lord, you see what kind of one it was this group? It's a fresh environment. Don't you like the box to sin? No. The box had to be broken and poured upon him.
And the house was filled and he was delighted because he saw the devotion of this woman at his feet. But God claimed, I yield. What I yield, God accepts. what he kept he filled, what he filled to use, or what he used as he blessed. She gave a wonderful disaster. Here is a devoted soul, a country-credited soul. I was reading a book last night about something in British history, but when Queen Victoria was on the British throne, And there was a little country, Punjab, and there was a young ruler of that country.
And he didn't know much about the queen in Buckingham Palace, but he wanted to go and see this. And he knew he should take something. So it is. He took the precious diamond, the coroner, our precious diamond. And he took it to the Buckingham Palace and he presented it to Queen Victoria. And he left. That precious gem was placed in the Tower of London, among the crown walls of the gem. A number of years passed and he came back. And he went in and had his courtesy before the Queen.
When he asked the Queen, to do something. He says, Your Highness, could I see that gem, that diamond I gave you when I was a child? Strange, he said. The extreme Victoria was a very lovely tree, and she consented and gave orders. that that gem be brought from the Tower of London for Buckingham Palace. And under heavy guards they were brought. And the young ruler took it. He walked over to the window and he looked at it.
I didn't know it was so precious when I was a child. He walked over to the between and he made his bow. He said, Your Highness, I want to give you this. He said, I gave it to you when I was a child, but I didn't understand what I was doing. I didn't know what value. I really didn't know what a wonderful woman you are and your power. I didn't know that. So he said, I want to give it again. And I give it.
In all the strength of my manhood, I'm an adult now. I know what I'm doing. I know this value, the value of it. And I know who you are. And I know how I owe so much to you. And I want to give it to you now as a man. And I'm going to give it to you forever. fully conscious now of what I'm doing. And she accepted it. Sometimes people make a profession that entirely. They don't know what they're doing.
It's just the case of maybe doing what they think the right thing. But they get older. Then they realize how precious... dear solely. How precious light is, and how grand and glorious our Lord Jesus Christ is. Things are serious now. I'm mature. I can understand things better now. This is for eternity. This is greater than all in the Word. And Lord, I need business now. And I want to give you distresses you, my heart, my faith.
I give it to you now, fully responsible for my acts. I'm going to give it to you now forever, forever. And he'll accept it. Was there any thought in your mind or thought there was about this thing of salvation? And you're not clear about it. You better be clear this morning. And something went through the action a number of years ago when you were young. Don't depend on that. You better be clear and understand the value of your soul and the one with whom you have to do.
And bring it all, not part. Bring it all. And he looks up to you. All that you would do, what that young old had said. He gave it a second hour. Knowing now. It's important. Knowing now is value. Knowing now the blessings that will assist you in with it. When you thus come to Christ and come this morning, come right now with your alabaster box. You see it's broken. You have repentance. Repentance. a broken box. The Lord would have got nothing had Mary not broken that box.
When a person comes in your tent and says, Lord, I'm lost. I'm going to hell. You know all things. I can't hide from you. I'm going to give what you wanted all my life. I'm going to give it to you now with all my heart. through that, then you shall be saved. That's the kind of devotion. And if you've been a Christian for a number of years and you've lived with selfish self-centered life, won't you give them all this morning? I hope you will. Let us pray.
Our Father in heaven, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who came into thy presence, She has thy blessing on thy word. We thank thee for it. We thank thee for this devoted soul, Mary, who chose that better part. And we do trust that we, those of us who were saved this morning, that we're holding something back, teaching something back. Thou didst give thine all. Thou didst not... Preserve something for the future occasion. Thou dost lay down thy life. Thou dost give thy life all at Calvary. Thou wilt not be satisfied with anything less from us.
May we give out all. Give it to Christ, to thee. Thou will accept it and be