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A look at Mary of Bethany as one of the key examples of Biblical devotion to Jesus.
 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:39-42)
MARY OF BETHANY
Mary of Bethany was a young, single woman that lived a life of extravagant devotion to the Man, Jesus Christ. Mary is mentioned in the New Testament three different times, and all three times she is pictured as being seated at the feet of Jesus listening to His words. The "Mary of Bethany" calling is an anointing offered to all believers that transcends gender and age. Receiving this anointing doesn't mean that this dynamic is the only thing your life is about, but it empowers you so that this is the primary thing in your life.
MARTHA
Martha was Mary’s older sister. In Luke 10:40 we are told that Martha was anxious and troubled about many things, particularly about her ministry of serving the Lord. She complains to Jesus appealing to the practical needs of everyday life. This speaks of a couple of things. First, she is saying that service to the Lord is the key calling. Second, she is saying that Mary's devotional stance is irresponsible and thus incorrect. Third, she was saying that Jesus should rebuke Mary for acting as she did. Jesus' responce here is so very important. How He responds will tell us what He thinks is important and it also will tell us what we should think is important.
Jesus doesn't rebuke Martha for her serving, because He knew that serving was important and necessary. In fact, much of Jesus' teaching was concerned with serving. He didn't correct her for her serving, but then again He didn't commend her for being right either. Instead, He corrects her for serving with the wrong spirit. She had an anxious and troubled spirit that was bothered with many things. If we have an anxious spirit concerning service, our perspective can become skewed and we can find our selves crossways to the Lord's purposes. This is where we see Martha. She was so spiritually disoriented that she not only was desiring to see Mary rebuked, she also rebuked Jesus, accusing Him of not caring about her and her service, and for having an incorrect appreciation of Mary and her devotion.Jesus didn't get upset with Martham but He did identify the real issue and pointed Martha to His solution to it.
Jesus, contrary to Martha's thought on the issue, didn't scold Mary, instead He praised her attitude and her actions. He said that Mary wasn't irresponsible, He actually said that she was acting in a responsible manner and He praised her for it. He said that Mary had chose the good portion and that He would not takeit away from her, nor would He allow others to take it away from her.
ONE THING IS NEEDED
Beloved, no one in all of human history has ever served with greater focus or with greater humility than Jesus, yet He, who was the Servant of servants, proclaims that only one thing was necessary, only one thing was considered by Him to be the good portion - a life of devotion, not service.
It is important to realize, however, that Jesus was not saying that devotion was to be the only component of our lives, because it isn't. He did not say that service or other legitimate areas of responsibility were cancelled out if we have this type of devotion. What He did say was that this type of a life of devotion is necessary above all else. There is nothing else, in Jesus' opinion (and His is the ONLY one that counts, isn't it?) that can be compared to this one thing. First things first. We have devotion to HIm, and then serve from that devotional reality without a spirit of anxiety or a troubled, accusatory spirit.
THE CHOICE IS YOURS
Both Mary and Martha made the choice of how they would live and how they would act. You too, are the one who can choose which reality you will live from. God will not choose for you. Love must be a voluntary response, or it is not love.
King David set his heart in the same way that Mary of Bethany did. He was ruling the nation of Israel, he was administrating the running of the government and he was leading the army; and yet he desired this one thing above all else.
One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. (Psalm 27:4)
Will you live a life that receives the praise of Jesus, or a life that that He will have to correct? The choice is yours!
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