Have you ever we begun a new ministry with the right motivation, but found along the way that somehow you got off track.? Perhaps, your idea(s) for the ministry failed to match up with reality. Your heart's motives were pure, but something went awry. 

This seems to have happened with Martha in the story Luke shares with us in Luke 10:38-42,

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.  She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.  But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things,  but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Martha's heart was in the right place. She knew The Master and His disciples would be tired and hungry from their journey. AND not only that, it was customary to open up one's home to weary travelers and serve them refreshments. What would the neighbor's think if Martha hadn't got busy in the kitchen? It was tradition after all! 

No, Martha was doing the right thing in her mind, while her sister was being a slacker! Can you relate to Martha? Does it ever seem like you're doing all the work while others are enjoying all the benefits?

I honestly believe this happens a lot in the ministry and why we have so many suffering from “burn out”. Unfortunately for Martha, she experienced more of a  “burned up” rather than a burn out. She got really angry FAST, and took her anger out on Jesus, accusing her Lord of not caring. Can you imagine? I can, for I've been in Martha's shoes a few times over the years in different ministries.

It's during those times that our Lord has to come sit me down and help me to see the whole picture (the one with Jesus in it). He usually accomplishes that with a list of questions:

• Whose ministry is this?
• Whose children are you serving?
• Whose given you the means and talents?
• Who always sees all that you are doing?
• And just Who are you ultimately serving?

There are two, perhaps three key points that could be her legacy, and as I've been studying Mary's life this week, I haven't been able to make up my mind as to which rises above the others! Therefore, I'm hoping you'll be able to settle this for me.  

The story of Mary of Bethany’s extravagant act of anointing Jesus for burial found in three of the Gospels, Matthew 26:1-13, Mark 14:1-8 and John 12:1-8 has most likely been her single greatest, and most memorable act.

BUT it was Judas' question or protest that struck me the most. “Why this waste?” 

When Judas saw Mary’s worshipful act, his first thought was to criticize, “Why are you being so wasteful? You could have helped the poor with this small fortune!” And Judas was not alone in his criticism of her! 

I had to wonder if I would have dared to be so bold, but Mary stepped out in faith. Her act of extravagant love was selfless, and risked both embarrassment and the jeers of harsh criticism.

But it was her love that compelled her, and Jesus defended and commended Mary and lets us all know that she will forever be remembered for what she did.

Mary’s loving act of anointing Jesus with the most expensive item she owned is one incident found in the Bible where a woman got it right while the men were left scratching their heads!

I believe we all have much we can learn from Mary:

1.) Mary of Bethany was absolutely devoted to Jesus and His teaching.

I found it interesting that Luke referenced Mary's act when he tells the story about her and her sister in Luke 10:38–42, "This Mary … was the same one who later poured perfume on the Lord and wiped His feet with her hair."

"Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; 42 but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” (emphasis mine)

Mary, actions convey that what she wanted most of all was to follow the Lord Jesus in such a way as to be able to hear his teachings. And Jesus lets everyone know that Mary chose "the good part, or portion"

I had to ask myself, am I as wholly devoted to Jesus as Mary was? Do I treasure His word as much as she did? And if so, is that fact evident to others around me?

2.) Mary of Bethany was willing to pay an extravagant cost to convey her love for Jesus.

John tells us in John 12:3 - "Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume." 

Mark records it in Mark 14:1-8, but let's begin in Mark 14:3, "While He was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard; and she broke the vial and poured it over His head."

This particular vial which Mary had was made of a costly material called "alabaster", filled with an even costlier perfume from the orient (most likely India) called "nard".

I again had to wonder, would I do the same? Have I? Have I given my very best to Jesus? My all to Jesus?  Has my devotion been costly? 

3.) Mary of Bethany created a powerful testimony for others to follow. 

Hi Girls!

I hope you have been enjoying this study as much as I have. I've read about each of these woman before while moving through the Bible, but I never stopped to truly study the impact each of them had on those around them and all of history. 

Mary of Magdalene is a perfect example of this. I'm in such awe of her and the legacy she has left behind for all of us, but before we look into her legacy I wanted to just briefly touch upon the highlights of her life that are mentioned in the Bible just so we don't miss out on anything:

• Mary Magdalene was delivered by Jesus from seven demons. "...and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out" (Luke 8:2)
• Mary Magdalene financially supported Jesus’ ministry. Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others were helping to support them out of their own means. (Luke 8:3)
•  Mary Magdalene witnessed the crucifixion and burial of Jesus. Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.  (Matthew 27:55-56). *Interesting note that I don't want you to miss is the order in which the women are listed and how Mary, the mother of Jesus is referenced. Mary Magdalene is listed before Mary the mother of James and Joseph (Jesus' half brothers). In Jewish writings the one of more prominence is generally listed first.
•  Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and reported it empty. Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” (John 20:1-2)
•  Mary Magdalene saw two angels in the tomb and spoke with them. Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb  and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.  They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”  (John 20:11-13)
• Mary Magdalene was the first person (man or woman) to see Jesus after His resurrection. Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her. (John 20:16-18)
•  Mary Magdalene was the one who delivered Jesus' message back to the disciples. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” (Matthew 28:10)

First, Mary Magdalene life demonstrates that Jesus should be the center of our life. She depicts for us what one woman can do for the One who has done so much for her. Once Mary was healed, she immediately began to practice her faith by following Jesus and ministering to Him and His disciples from her substance and was there to the end; witnessing to His death and Resurrection to others. 

Second, Gratitude should be our driving force as to why we follow Jesus and serve Him and others. I believe Mary Magdalene felt she owed Jesus her very life, but don't we all?  Mary never forgot how much she owed to Jesus.

Third, Mary Magdalene's life demonstrates how very much Jesus elevated the role of women. We don’t know much about Mary Magdalene’s life before demons were cast out of her. But we can read in other areas and know how demon possessed people were treated. We also know that women were treated as second class citizens. I can't say for sure, but I feel as though she must have experienced some kind of shame from being possessed, but none of this stopped Jesus from healing her and allowed her to have a part in His ministry. 

Finally, Mary Magdalene is a wonderful example that our past is past. When I think of Mary Magdalene's life I immediately think of what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Anyone who belongs to Christ is a NEW person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!". 

All of us are given a second chance, a fresh start, the past is past and a whole new life has begun! This to me is my greatest takeaway from her life. BUT, I'm sure there's much more to her legacy and if you have discovered more, I hope you will share it with us on Women in the Word. 

Blessings, 

sue 

 Luke 1

I know that everyone, when asked what Mary's legacy would be, would most likely answer that she was favored by God to be the mother of our Lord and Savior. No question, that this will always be Mary's ultimate legacy, but when I think of Mary, it's verse 1:38 in Luke that immediately comes to my mind.

"Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed"

Have you ever been asked to do something and your first thought is, "Why me? I can't possibly do that!" And all these reasons why begin forming in your head? I have to admit that, that has happened to me more times than I'd like to admit to. 

Letting ourselves be used by God can be hard at times. It requires us being willing to let ourselves be taken out of our comfort zones and sent in different directions than we might have otherwise chosen. It requires us being willing to turn our lives over to someone greater than ourselves.

This is exactly why Mary was brave enough to immediately turn her life over to the service of God. It wasn't going to be easy; there were going to be challenges along the way, "a sword would pierce her soul", but as the Lord’s servant she would be directly responsible for changing the fate of all humankind. Imagine that! 

Where would we all be today if Mary had refused to be God's handmaiden? 

And what is He calling you to do today? 

Whatever it is, it may not impact the entire world, but even if it is only one, that one is counting on you!

May each of us say each day to our Savior and Lord, "Behold I am the Lord's handmaiden. Let it be to me according to Your word."

Blessings!

sue

 Elizabeth:  Luke 1:5-80

Elizabeth only appears in this first chapter of Luke, but I could easily find at least five legacy lessons through her story here. Perhaps you were able to find more and I hope you’ll share them with us.

OK, here goes:

 1.) I believe Elizabeth demonstrates that God is Jehovah- Jireh and He will provide for us. 

Notice what the angels says to Zachariah, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth” (Luke 1:13-14). We aren’t privileged to see Elizabeth’s initial reaction when she learns that she is finally carrying a child after all these years of praying, but Elizabeth’s story tells us that we can never give up praying for the things we long for. Are you currently be held in the waiting room just now? I pray Elizabeth's story will be an encouragement to you. 

2.) God keeps His promises

The name Elizabeth actually means “God keeps His oaths”. He not only kept His promise to Elizabeth, but He brought the prophecy found in the Book of Malachi to life!

If you are struggling right now, waiting, wondering if God will ever answer, Elizabeth’s life is telling us to hang on! Keep trusting, for we may not see it now, but He is at work and will always keep His promises!

 3.)  God Still Performs Miracles

Both of the babies found in this chapter were miracles, but the people of that day would all view Elizabeth conceiving a child in her old age as a miracle right away. God was clearly at work then and is still at work today. Miracles are happening all the time and we need to be on the lookout constantly!

4.) We Should Bless Others Whenever We Have the Opportunity

 Notice, Elizabeth has learned that she is with child. She is so excited that she can hardly contain it. Suddenly, Mary comes to visit and shares her own exciting news and, instead of Elizabeth blurting out her own news, she chooses to share in Mary's excitement and blesses her,  “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.  Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” (Luke 1:42-45)

Elizabeth’s blessing to Mary caused Mary to praise God,

“My soul glorifies the Lord

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has been mindful

of the humble state of his servant.

From now on all generations will call me blessed,

for the Mighty One has done great things for me—

holy is his name.

His mercy extends to those who fear him,

from generation to generation.

He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;

he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

He has brought down rulers from their thrones

but has lifted up the humble.

He has filled the hungry with good things

but has sent the rich away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel,

remembering to be merciful

to Abraham and his descendants forever,

just as he promised our ancestors.”

Luke 1:46-55

But all of this praise could have gone sour quickly if Elizabeth had allowed jealousy to destroy her joy.

Both Elizabeth and Mary were graciously favored by God. Each were carrying precious men the world had been longing for.  I know Elizabeth was elated, yet when Mary came to Elizabeth to share her news that she had been visited by the angel of the Lord, and was now pregnant with the Son of God – Elizabeth rejoiced for her cousin, and that each were a part of God’s plan.

Have you ever been guilty of learning of a friend or family member receiving a blessing and wondering why it couldn’t have been you? What about looking over the fence at your neighbor’s home and seeing their new car, or new pool or summer home and lamenting over what you have rather than being excited for them?

I believe we all  have a tendency to look at others and compare them to ourselves and our lack, but what if we changed our way of thinking and, instead, remained grateful for all we've been given and were able to rejoiced with them and cause them to rejoice as well?

What if we could actually rest in the fact that we are just the way God has created us? We have all that God desires for us to have at this moment. Wouldn't it be wonderful to be free to simply be happy and share in other's happiness?

I believe this is the greatest takeaway from Elizabeth's life? How about you? I'd love to hear what you've discovered!

Blessings! 

sue