Mary of Bethany and the Better Portion Part 5: At His Feet

Image Credit: Jesus Feet by PeteWill / Getty Images Signature, via Canva.

    When Jesus said that Mary had chosen the good portion, He was referring to a portion that would last for eternity. He said that it would not be taken from her (Lk 10:42). 

    Mary appears only a few times in Scripture, but in every scene, she places herself at the Lord’s feet. She sits quietly in Luke 10 while others are occupied. She knelt in sorrow in John 11 when her brother had died. She bent low again in John 12 to anoint Him with the oil she had prepared. She does not demand anything. She does not need the spotlight. But she returns again and again to the same place. What that shows is the mark of a soul that has recognized who Christ is.

    To sit at someone’s feet in their time meant submission. It expressed recognition of authority. Mary was not trying to earn her place. She had chosen to be near. And Christ honored that; He called it good. 

    This final word from Jesus in Luke 10 becomes a fitting conclusion for everything we have seen in her life. When Mary listened, she did not interrupt. When she grieved, she came. When she gave, she did not explain. She entrusted herself to the One she had come to know. She did not ask what was expected—she simply drew near.

    That same portion remains open to us. It may not be praised by many. It may be misunderstood or may appear simple or small. But it will not be taken away. Christ still receives the devotion that begins at His feet. He still welcomes those who come to Him.

    Mary teaches us that worship is not found in one act. It is found in a consistent placing of oneself near the Lord, whether in listening, sorrow, or offering. That is the better portion. And the Lord, who called it good, will never take it from those who choose it.