Trying to be like Jesus - serving as you will

I have mentioned already that the overarching theme of this seems to be a respect for individuality.

In more recent posts that has included seeing that some people are ready for higher levels of commitment, without it taking anything away from those who serve on a smaller level. There are always ways to serve.

Beyond that, at the same level of ability there may be many different options of how to use those abilities. It would be a mistake to assume that there is always a set rank of which uses are better. It can be situational, and I suspect preference can be reason enough.

Let's look at Mary of Bethany. In Luke 10 we read of a time when she left the kitchen to sit at Jesus' feet as a disciple.

It was unconventional for a woman to do this, but that did not bother Jesus. Women were frequently among his disciples and continued to play an important role through and after his death.

It did bother Martha - left alone in the kitchen - who came to complain.

Reading the account, lots of people will look down on Martha for her narrow focus, but might not remember to apply it when they are trying to get a big family meal ready and someone goes out to entertain people who will later be eating that food. Siblings have been known to judge each other's choices.

Possibly what Martha was trying to do was unnecessarily elaborate, but we don't know. I can easily imagine that with Jesus there, many other people were also there. That seems like a reason to worry about feeding them, but he fed multitudes when needed.

Certainly the opportunity to listen to Jesus teach was more important. He reminded Martha of that, but not sternly. She could have been cooking fancier food than was needed, but maybe she enjoyed cooking and was good at it. He does not tell Martha that what she is doing was bad, but it is not needful. Striking a balance with all that we can and should do isn't always easy. Fortunately, there is no one better at understanding how we can be slow learners, and adjusting the lesson to our needs.

Oddly, Luke is the one gospel that does not have the other story where Mary's choices are criticized, for which we can go to Matthew 26, Mark 14, or John 12.

John 12
2 There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.

3 Then took Mary 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.

4 Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him,

5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?

6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.

7 Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.

8 For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.

Selling the ointment and giving it to the poor would be a good thing to do. There were undoubtedly many other good things that could be done with it, but Mary appears to have understood that he was going to die soon.


No matter how many times Jesus told them, his followers seemed to put that aside. It would have been very hard to accept, and it was not the understood role of the Messiah; he was supposed to be their king and free them.

This act comes across as an acknowledgement of all of the contradiction: I accept you as the Son of God, and I accept that you are going to leave us. I need to show my love and mourning now, while you are still here.

And he accepted that, just as he accepted her desire to listen before, and just as he accepted her desire to have her brother live (despite delaying that desire so he could show others his power over death).

It is not always like that. Sometimes it is very clear that there are specific things we need to do, and the choice is only whether or not to obey. Whether that is because of the need of someone else, or our need to have the experience, well, sometimes even when we think we understand we find out later there was more to it.

It is also common to have times when there is not clarity as to what we should do or what will be best. In times like that it can be very encouraging to remember that the one we serve will accept many different gifts, caring more about the heart that offers them.