CHOOSING WHAT IS BETTER

LIKE MARY

Mary has chosen what is better...

See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. 

Therefore, if your whole body is full of light,

and no part of it dark,

it will be completely lighted...

Luke 10.41; 11.33-36

Mary chose to sit with Jesus and listen to Him talk and teach.  She learned things from Him, and she learned things about Him.  In choosing the "better"--the best!--Mary saw, not just a man, but the Son of Man. 

We too can listen to Him and see Him in His present glory through the simplicity of "abiding."  (Jesus will later tell His Disciples to "abide in/with Me." John 15. 1-17.)

Luke moves from Mary--Luke 1.38-42--to Jesus' teaching on prayer--11.1-11--as if to say, "To choose the better/best, we must pray."  Then Luke tells us what Jesus says about how to pray.

After giving us specific areas of prayer, Jesus uses a request for bread at midnight and a child's request for a fish to emphasize that prayer must be based on believing that our Father will always give and do good things to and for us.  

(Hebrews 11.5-6 says--He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. 

Romans 8.28-39 affirms--Our Father makes all things work out for our good.)

Luke shows how Jesus emphasized that we must choose these good things, as did Mary.   (11.14-26)

Then comes the point of all this report from Luke:  v.28--

"those who hear the word of God and obey it."

Vv. 29-32--Nineveh listened to Jonah.  The Queen listened to Solomon. 

Jesus is now speaking.

We, too, must listen to Jesus--

"See to it"--

now!

We must listen as Mary listened. 

To hear what Jesus said.

But also to see what she saw--

the Light of the Glory of the Father in the Son.

Mary saw a portion of the gloriousness of Jesus--

       the Messiah of the Prophets,  

       the Christ, 

       the Son of Man,

       the Son of God.

She heard His words and understood!

He was glorious. 

Mary saw Him.

Jesus said that if we see Him, we will see the Father in and through Him.

His prayer was for us to see and to know the only True God through knowing Himself--John 17.3; see also, 2 Cor. 4.6.

Peter's last words were his heart's desire for us to know Jesus--2 Peter 3.18.

As were John's--

These things have I written unto you

that you might fellowship with us,

 and truly our fellowship is with the Father

 and with His Son, Jesus Christ.

1 John 1.1-3 

The glory of God comes to us as we listen to and read from, prayerfully and thoughtfully, the Words of God--Luke 11.28.  (Think about Ephesians 4.3.)

We see that glory as we look for it, prayerfully, thoughtfully, listening, reading the words God has written and kept for us.  As we look for and listen to our Father and Lord, we will see the glory of God.

See to it, then, that ...

your whole body is full of light,

and no part of it dark...

completely lighted.....

Luke 11.35, 36