At His Feet

We often delight to-meditate upon the place where Mary of Bethany was found at the feet of the Lord Jesus. We find Mary in this position on three different occasions, each one full of deepest meaning. The first is found in Luke 10. 39.

The Place of Instruction - “Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word”. We are reminded that Martha was occupied for Him, but Mary was occupied with Him. Martha was careful and troubled about many things and the Lord tenderly recognized this, but said to her, “Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her”. How blessed it is to come aside from this restless world and its many distractions and to sit at His feet and learn of Him, for none teaches like Him. The next occasion we find Mary at His feet shows

The Place of Consolation. In John 11 we read of the sorrow that had entered into the home on the death of Lazarus. We note in verse 20 that “Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him; but Mary sat still in the house”. She who sat at His feet and heard His Word did not move until the message came to her, “The Master is come, and calleth for thee”, v. 28. “She arose quickly, and came unto him’, and in her deep sorrow she cast herself “at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died”, V. 32, and then we have the shortest verse in the Bible, “Jesus wept" (and one of the most profound). The Lord did not weep because Lazarus had died, for He was to raise him from the dead that the glory of God might be manifested, but He wept because He saw what sin had wrought and the bereavement that followed. It was at His feet that Mary found consolation – a place so dear to the heart of Mary. Let us now turn to John 12 to see Mary yet again at His feet.

The Place of Adoration. We find here a threefold cord – a family circle that had not been broken. Lazarus was there raised to life and liberty; Martha served this time in her rightful place and Mary whose longing was for the place of nearness took “a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment”, v. 3. Truly Mary’s act of devotion to her Lord personifies worship which is the highest occupation of the soul.

May we likewise seek more and more this blessed place of nearness at the feet of our blessed Lord, till we see His face in glory.