DAY 30

AT HIS FEET

LAUREN GRACA, KIDS PASTOR

“Do you know where to go?”

This is a question I asked my children recently as they started at a new school. As I was about to drop them off for the first time, I asked “Do you know where to go?”

Our oldest son wanted to be on the school tennis team. On his first day of practice, I asked him, “Do you know where to go?”

In Kids Ministry we just promoted children into their next grade. When families checked in for the first time we asked them, “Do you know where to go?”

I was recently at the hospital visiting a loved one after their surgery. When I arrived the volunteer greeted me and then asked, “Do you know where to go?”

I think you get the idea. And if you think about it, this question is a very common question many of us ask or get asked.

What if I told you that in our prayer life (and just life in general), there is one place where we should always go. No matter what is happening in our lives at the moment, we should always find ourselves... here. Whether our time of prayer is full of thanksgiving and gratitude, questions, or anxiousness and fear, we should always find ourselves at this place... The place at Jesus’ feet.

There’s a woman mentioned several times in the Bible, and each time she is mentioned we find her in the same place, at Jesus’ feet. But while we find her at Jesus’ feet, her circumstances are different in each scene.

In the Gospel of Luke, chapter 10, Jesus is in the home of Mary and her sister, Martha. Martha is working in the kitchen preparing the meal while Mary is found sitting at Jesus’ feet. Martha is frustrated that Mary isn’t helping and even asks Jesus to intervene to tell Mary to help. Jesus' response to Martha is this, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet, soaking in all that Jesus was teaching and saying. She simply desired His Presence more than anything else.

In the Gospel of John, there are two accounts of Mary at the feet of Jesus. In the first account, Mary’s circumstance is much different than from the passage we read about in Luke. Mary and Martha’s brother, Lazarus, had just died. Jesus and his disciples went to Bethany (where Lazarus and his sisters lived) to go see him. Scripture writes that Lazarus had already been dead for four days, and many people had come from neighboring towns to comfort and console Mary and Martha.

When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. Martha said to Jesus,

“Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.”

Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.”

“Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.”

Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”

“Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God. Then she returned to Mary. She called Mary aside from the mourners and told her, “The Teacher is here and wants to see you.” So Mary immediately went to him. Jesus had stayed outside the village, at the place where Martha met him. When the people who were at the house consoling Mary saw her leave so hastily, they assumed she was going to Lazarus’ grave to weep. So they followed her there. When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

—John 11:20–32

I wanted to include this dialogue between Jesus, Martha, and Mary to highlight the tension and turmoil that the women found themselves in. These women—these sisters, were in deep anguish. They were heart broken, overwhelmed by sadness and grief. Have you ever been there? Have you ever found yourself in this same situation and circumstance as Mary and Martha? I have. And I am sure I’m not the only one. This passage holds a lot of lessons—too many to cover in this devotional, but what I want to draw our attention to is this: Where does Mary go? She runs and falls at Jesus’ feet.

Just one chapter later, in the Gospel of John, we read about another time where Mary is at the feet of Jesus. And once again, there is a different circumstance that we see Mary in. There is a dinner at Lazarus’ house where Jesus is being honored. Spoiler alert—Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead at the end of John 11. This is obviously a huge deal and a cause for celebration. Mary is, once again, sitting at Jesus’ feet. This time however, Mary is anointing Jesus’ feet with very expensive perfume. This image of Mary anointing Jesus’ feet illustrates Mary’s pure love and worship of Jesus. I have no doubt Mary's heart was full of thanksgiving for what Jesus had done for her brother, Lazarus, but also for just who Jesus is.

No matter what circumstance Mary is in, she is found in the same place, at Jesus’ feet. It’s not only when Mary is stressed, worried, or sad. It’s not only when Mary’s heart is full of thanksgiving and praise. And it’s not only when Mary is curious. Mary runs to Jesus and humbles herself before Him every time. Do you find yourself in the same place as Mary? Do you position yourself, surrendering at Jesus’ feet, knowing full well that He is what this whole world is all about? Whether you are in a situation of gleaning and soaking in, praise and thanksgiving, or even in a season of worry, anxiousness or heart-break, may you know where to go. May you run to His feet.

PRAYER

Dear Jesus, first I want to thank You. Thank You for being so accessible to us. It’s Your desire for us to come to You, in all seasons and at all times. We have access to the Presence of God, and we are so thankful. May the stories of Mary be a reminder to all of us, that like Mary we want to be found sitting at Your feet soaking in Your Presence, and praising You. No matter what circumstances are going on around us, You are Lord. You are who we serve. You are with us. You are the One who has been given all authority in Heaven and Earth. When we consider where we should go, may we always be here... At Jesus’ feet, amen.