Dusty Disciple

the One Thing we need

Have you ever wondered what the most important thing in life is? Did you know that Yeshua Himself told us? Interestingly, the answer is fairly simple and captured in the example of Miriam, who sat at His feet. 

In Luke 10:38-42, we read the account of Miriam and her sister Martha:

“It happened as they went on their way, He entered into a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha received Him into her house. She had a sister called Miriam, who also sat at Yeshua’s feet, and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she came up to Him, and said, ‘L-rd, don’t You care that my sister left me to serve alone? Ask her therefore to help me.’

Yeshua answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is needed. Miriam has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her.’” (Hebrew Names Version, capital pronouns, hyphens added) 

Notice Yeshua’s words – “one thing is needed.” A pastor I heard speak pointed out that that phrase is similar to David’s cry in Psalm 27:4:

“One thing I have asked of the L-RD, that I will seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the L-RD all the days of my life, to see the L-RD’s beauty, and to inquire in His temple.” (HNV, bold added for emphasis, capital pronouns, hyphens added) 

In that passage, David says that even in the midst of war, in this dwelling in the L-RD’s house he would be confident, because as it says in verse five, the L-RD will keep him, hide him and lift him up on a rock. Miriam understood the significance of this “one thing” as well. But what, exactly, is that “one thing” that she did? She sat at Yeshua’s feet, much like David, who said he wanted to dwell in the House of the L-RD, to behold His beauty and inquire of Him.

The word “feet” has many uses in the Greek Scriptures, and seeing some of those helps us understand a little bit of what Miriam did. First of all, it is an act of humility and a recognition of Yeshua’s authority. In Mark 5:22 and Mark 7:25, people come to Yeshua’s feet in the context of asking for healing. In Matthew 28:9, we see it as an act of humility in recognition of who Yeshua is: 

“As they went to tell His disciples, behold, Yeshua met them, saying, ‘Rejoice!’ They came and took hold of His feet, and worshiped Him.” (HNV, capital pronouns added)

It is also an act of humble pleading, as in this parable account in Matthew 18:29: 

“So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will repay you!’” (HNV)

It is also an act of love and faith, as in Luke 7:37-38, 44-47:

“Behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that He was reclining in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of ointment. Standing behind at His feet weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and she wiped them with the hair of her head, kissed His feet, and anointed them with the ointment...

“Turning to the woman, He [Yeshua] said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I entered into your house, and you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave Me no kiss, but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. You didn’t anoint My head with oil, but she has anointed My feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.’” (HNV, capital pronouns added) 

So, in effect, Miriam recognized Yeshua’s authority, humbled herself under His teaching, believed Him and loved Him. The love issue is important, because I believe a key issue in the text that describes the “one thing” is relationship. David had an intimate relationship with G-d. So did Miriam. And while Martha does well in other Scripture passages, in this one she fails in that relational aspect. But how?

The key is understanding Yeshua’s response to her:  

“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is needed. Miriam has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (HNV)

Of the words used by the text to describe Martha – “distracted”, “anxious” and “troubled” – only one, “anxious”, is used more than once in the Greek Scriptures. Perhaps that is to catch our attention, because it captures her heart. Some of its uses are in Matthew 6:25, 27, 28, 31, 34: 

“Therefore, I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing?”

“Which of you, by being anxious, can add one moment to his lifespan? Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin… 

“Therefore don’t be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘With what will we be clothed?’”

“Therefore don’t be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day’s own evil is sufficient.” (HNV) 

As to the contrast, what we should be thinking on, see verse 33:

“But seek first G-d’s Kingdom, and His righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.” (HNV, capital pronouns, hyphens added) 

The passage I most feel sums up the use of the word by Yeshua (translated here as “concerned”, “cares”) is in I Corinthians 7:32-34:

“But I desire to have you to be free from cares. He who is unmarried is concerned for the things of the L-rd, how he may please the L-rd; but he who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife. There is also a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the L-rd, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world—how she may please her husband.” (HNV, italics, bold added for emphasis, hyphens added)

This contrast of caring is intriguing. It is the same word, but a different focus. One is for an earthly spouse, the other for our Perfect Groom. In other words, Martha’s failure was not that she cared, but what she cared about. Not that she was doing something, but what and how she was doing. Where was her heart? Was it caring for “the things of the L-rd”? Not exactly. It was enraptured in a task, a job, not in Yeshua.  

Miriam, on the other hand, was totally taken in with the Master. She understood who He was, accepted in humility His authority, and like a lovestruck newlywed simply wanted to be with Him.

Where are our hearts? Are we desperate in love like the Children of Israel were when G-d saved them from Egypt? Like we were when He first saved us? Or are we calloused, focused on a task while forgetting Who it was we were supposed to be doing the task for? Are “good deeds” more important to us than spending time with Him? And when we do what He tells us, are we acting like a wife longing to please her husband – or have we made the command our husband instead? 

Don’t worry, there’s hope. Go back to His arms. Remember just to love Him. Go on a date with G-d and spend an evening reveling in how amazing He is. Read the Psalms, watching for His person. Sing to Him. Dance for Him. He longs for us to return to our “first love.” As He said to Israel then, so He says to us now:

“Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her. I will give her vineyards from there, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope; and she will respond there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt... I will betroth you to Me forever. Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness, in justice, in loving kindness, and in compassion. I will even betroth you to Me in faithfulness; and you shall know the L-RD.” (Hosea 2:14-15, 19-20, HNV, capital pronouns, hyphens added) 

The Greatest Commandment: Part I

Sometimes the obvious can be missed. Funny, but it’s amazing how many times I have left things sitting in obvious places, or missed something on my dresser or closet I was looking for when it was right in front of me. We can be that way with G-d’s Word too.

For example, the point to the command to love G-d with all your being is to actually love Him. I know I sometimes miss that, and replace love with concepts such as feel emotions towards, do man’s definition of “good deeds,” pursue intellectually etc. Keeping actual love in our sights, and understanding what that means, might be easier if we also take notice of the order in which we are commanded to love Him. To refresh the memory, here’s the exact wording:

“Hear, Israel: the L-RD is our G-d; the L-RD is one: and you shall love the L-RD your G-d with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.” Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (Hebrew Names Version)

Notice that loving the L-RD with all your heart, soul and might seem to be in order? In other words, to properly love Him with all your soul and might, you must first love Him with all your heart. I’ll eventually run through what each looks like, but for now we’ll stick to step one: Loving with all your heart.

First, with all the heart, that is, with all our thoughts, desires, emotions, interests. In other words, with our core essence. Of its numerous uses in the Hebrew Scriptures, the heart can have faintness in it synonymous to overwhelming fear, be circumcised, be turned against others, have hate inside it, be an inspiration/home for desire, be obstinate, be home to G-d’s Word, seek Him, think to itself, be hardened in the context of shutting off giving to the poor, be proud, be glad, be grieved, can be poured out, be clean, praise G-d, possess understanding, and more. Out of all that defines us, much of the internal, unseen aspects seem to be encompassed by the heart.

So what is love? I Corinthians 13:4-8a gives a solid description, one we can apply to our hearts:

“Love is patient and is kind; love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud, doesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil; doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” (HNV)

In other words, love sets self aside for others. In our current context, this means setting aside our hearts for G-d, doing what He wants and directing our hearts to Him, instead of using them for ourselves.

Once we love G-d with our heart, our desire will be to grow our love and our heart will be the foundation for the next stage (Proverbs 4:23 “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.” Matthew 12:34b “For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks). Meanwhile, the heart is not only the starting point for loving G-d, but for idolatry as well. In one of the passages that commands us to love G-d with all our heart, the contrast is also provided in Deuteronomy 11:16:

“Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them.” (HNV, emphasis mine)

Now, if we don’t love Him with our hearts, our good words and our man-inspired good deeds (done because others expect it) don’t mean much.

“The L-rd said, “Because this people draws near with their mouth and with their lips to honor Me, but they have removed their heart far from Me, and their fear of Me is a commandment of men which has been taught; therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men will perish, and the understanding of their prudent men will be hidden.” Isaiah 29:13-14 (HNV)

Ouch, I’ve been there. It can be easy to say the right words, even to do what everyone around you expects, and miss completely the heart. Have you been there too? Maybe we should love Him with our hearts. With all our desires, emotions, thoughts. It’s similar to the love a man feels when he is “madly in love” with a woman. It seems almost every internal goal is summed up in that other person. It isn’t easy to do with respect to G-d, but it is the first step in the first of commands. But be of good cheer, we have help:

“It shall happen, when all these things have come on you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you shall call them to mind among all the nations, where the L-RD your G-d has driven you, and shall return to the L-RD your G-d, and shall obey His voice according to all that I command you this day, you and your children, with all your heart, and with all your soul; that then the L-RD your G-d will turn your captivity, and have compassion on you, and will return and gather you from all the peoples, where the L-RD your G-d has scattered you…

The L-RD your G-d will circumcise your heart, and the heart of your seed, to love the L-RD your G-d with all your heart, and with all your soul, that you may live.” Deuteronomy 30:1-3, 6 (HNV, emphasis mine)

So take heart, and then love with it.

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NOTE: My use of the Hebrew Names Version is not necessarily a complete endorsement. Out of all of the non-copyrighted versions I looked at, it was the one I liked the best. I have not read the entire version, and therefore cannot endorse all of its translation.

NOTE 2: Some of you may wonder why I put hyphens in the middle of G-d’s name. It is an effort to respect it in case the text is deleted or is used for a use not befitting text that contains G-d’s name, and to avoid offending others who choose to write it that way as well.