I. INTRODUCTION
A. Every day brings a myriad of choices into our lives, and we must make those choices faithfully if we are to please our Lord.
B. As an example to us, let us consider Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, who chose the "good part" when she chose to commit herself to the Lord Jesus.
II. MARY'S CHOICES
A. Mary chose the good part when she listened to the word of the Lord (Luke 10:38-42).
1. Jesus was welcomed into the home of Martha and her sister Mary.
2. While Mary was seated at His feet listening to His word, Martha "was distracted with all her preparations."
3. When Martha complained to the Lord that Mary was not helping her, Jesus said, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her."
4. Notice that Martha had not done wrong in her eagerness to be hospitable to the Lord. However, she was "distracted" ("cumbered" KJV) from the only necessary thing, which was the "good part" chosen by Mary.
B. Mary chose the good part when she believed in the Lord (John 11).
1. Mary and Martha had a brother, Lazarus, who became sick and died (vv. 1-16). Notice that verses 3 and 5 state that Jesus loved all of them, which indicates His exceptional affection for them.
2. Jesus came to their village of Bethany near Jerusalem when Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days (v. 17). He had intentionally delayed His arrival for His own glory and for the belief of His disciples (vv. 4, 15).
3. Martha came out first to Jesus and declared her faith in Him (vv. 20-27).
a. Martha said, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You."
b. When Jesus said that her brother would rise again, Martha said she knew that he would rise in the resurrection. Jesus replied, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?"
c. Martha's answer was the best that could be given. She said, "Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world."
4. When Mary came out to the Lord, she expressed the same faith as Martha (vv. 28-32).
a. Mary said exactly the same words spoken by Martha: "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." Truly, Mary's faith matched that of her sister, and Martha's words were Mary's as well.
b. Notice that their brother's death had not shaken the faith of Martha and Mary. Their belief in Him was unconditional.
5. Jesus confirmed their faith in Him when He raised Lazarus from the tomb (vv. 33-44).
C. Mary chose the good part when she did a good deed to the Lord (Matt. 26:6-12; Mark 14:3-8; John 12:1-8).
1. Just a few days before Jesus would be crucified, Mary anointed Him with costly perfume.
a. Jesus was in Bethany for a supper at the home of Simon the leper. Lazarus was there, and Martha was serving.
b. Mary took an alabaster vial of perfume and poured it on the Lord. Matthew and Mark say that she poured it over His head, and John says that she wiped His feet with her hair.
c. The value of this perfume was more than three-hundred denarii, which was over eight months' wages.
2. When Judas protested, Jesus defended Mary and explained the good she had done.
a. Judas said that the perfume should have been sold and the proceeds given to the poor. He considered Mary's use of the perfume on Jesus to be a waste. His true motivation was evil, for he was a thief and resented losing the opportunity to steal the money.
b. Consider the Lord's response from Matthew 26:10-13:
"Why do you bother the woman? For she has done a good deed to Me. For you always have the poor with you; but you do not always have Me. For when she poured this perfume on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial. Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her."
c. Mary did not consider the anointing of Jesus to be a waste of resources. To her, the Lord was worthy of the sacrifice. Today, we fulfill the Lord's words as we remember her good deed.
III. LESSONS LEARNED -- OUR CHOICES
A. Those who choose to hear the good word of the Lord will not have it taken from them.
1. When Martha suggested that Mary should have been helping with the preparations rather than listening to the Lord's word, Jesus contradicted her. He refused to take His word from Mary and indicated that Mary had devoted herself to something more important than Martha had chosen.
2. Likewise for us, there is nothing more necessary than that which we receive from Christ's word. It is the spiritual sustenance that feeds us and causes us to grow (1Pet. 2:1-3). We must not allow anything (work, education, etc.) to distract us from our choice to receive His word.
3. When we choose the "good part" of God's word, Christ assures us that we shall have it.
a. In Matthew 5:6, He said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." This is a guarantee of success for those who seek the righteousness of God through the gospel (Rom. 1:16-17).
b. In Matthew 7:7, Jesus promised, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." If we seek the wisdom of God's word, then it will be given to us.
c. In John 8:31-32, Jesus promised His believers, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."
B. Those who choose to have life by believing in the Lord will have it for eternity.
1. Jesus demonstrated His life-giving power and His authority over death when He raised Lazarus from the tomb. In John 5:21, Jesus said, "For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes."
2. Jesus told Martha, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die" (John 11:25-26).
a. Jesus is the resurrection because it is through Him that all will be raised from the dead (John 5:28-29; 1Cor. 15:21-22). He came in the flesh "that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives" (Heb. 2:14-15).
b. Jesus is the life because He gives everlasting life to the righteous in Him (Rom. 6:23b). The faithful in Christ will never die again (Matt. 25:46b; Rev. 20:14; 21:3-4).
3. Like Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, if we choose life through faith in Christ Jesus, then we will have it in abundance for eternity (John 3:16; 10:10).
C. Those who choose to labor for the Lord will not be forgotten by Him.
1. The good deed of Mary is recorded and preserved in God's eternal word as a memorial to her.
a. Judas considered her act a waste, but his foolish, selfish, and feeble opinion was mistaken. His objection is symbolic of men who mock service rendered to the Lord.
b. Not only would Jesus always remember Mary's good deed, but He assured that all of the world would remember her through His word as well.
2. Just as Mary's good deed was remembered and rewarded, so also our good works in Christ will also be remembered and rewarded.
a. Our labors in Christ will always bear fruit for us, for 1Corinthians 15:58 says, "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord."
b. We cannot be saved by our own works, but we will be judged by them. Notice 2Corinthians 5:10 -- "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad."
3. God's memory is unfailing. When all others forget, He remembers. He says to His children, "Can a woman forget her nursing child and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you" (Isa. 49:15).