That's either a difficult truth to learn or a difficult truth to embrace--or both. At the dinner they held after Lazarus was raised from the dead, most of the people were there to see Lazarus. In fact, the pharisees--who would have claimed to have a deep relationship with God--were trying to come up with a way to kill Lazarus. Never underestimate the arrogance or the mindless denials of those who refuse to believe in our Savior--despite the evidence. Especially the religious ones. (Remember what Abraham told the rich man in Hades? Even if one returns from the dead, they will not believe.) [And I always find it interesting that the beggar's name was Lazarus.]
Martha, of course, was still in the kitchen serving--but not complaining this time.
Mary, who had chosen "the one necessary thing"--sitting at His feet. learning from Him, and deepening her relationship with Him, came to the feast to see only one person--her Savior. And in loving, sacrificial worship, she anointed Him--as He testified--for His death. She knew. He had told her. And having seen her brother raised from the dead by His power--I have no doubt she knew for certain now--that death would not hold her Resurrection and the Life. He had told her that as well--just as He had told His disciples; who were clueless. Their focus was on who gets the best "jobs" in the kingdom.
Service does not lead to a deepening relationship. A deepening relationship leads to genuine, worshipful service, spiritual insight, and lifelong obedience. And when the disciples finally, fully realized who He was--"my Lord and My God"--"Lord, you know that I love you--and embraced that relationship--"devoting their lives to prayer and the teaching of the Word"--they, too, became genuine, spontaneous, sacrificial servants of God--to the death. Genuine obedience always continues until death.
Choose the one necessary thing. and each day He will grow "still sweeter than He ever was before." And from a deepening love relationship with Him will flow a life that is "a living sacrifice consecrated to Him."
Mary, who had chosen "the one necessary thing"--sitting at His feet. learning from Him, and deepening her relationship with Him, came to the feast to see only one person--her Savior. And in loving, sacrificial worship, she anointed Him--as He testified--for His death. She knew. He had told her. And having seen her brother raised from the dead by His power--I have no doubt she knew for certain now--that death would not hold her Resurrection and the Life. He had told her that as well--just as He had told His disciples; who were clueless. Their focus was on who gets the best "jobs" in the kingdom.
Service does not lead to a deepening relationship. A deepening relationship leads to genuine, worshipful service, spiritual insight, and lifelong obedience. And when the disciples finally, fully realized who He was--"my Lord and My God"--"Lord, you know that I love you--and embraced that relationship--"devoting their lives to prayer and the teaching of the Word"--they, too, became genuine, spontaneous, sacrificial servants of God--to the death. Genuine obedience always continues until death.
Choose the one necessary thing. and each day He will grow "still sweeter than He ever was before." And from a deepening love relationship with Him will flow a life that is "a living sacrifice consecrated to Him."
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