THE "GOOD PART"
THE “GOOD PART”
My text for you is, “But one thing is needful” (Luke 10: 42). Very slowly we acknowledge this great fact. “But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her”. The Lord was apparently the object of both sisters; Martha cared for Him with great assiduity and self-sacrifice, and yet Mary who sat at His feet and heard His word had chosen the good part. Very slowly it is that we learn to regard Mary’s act as pre-eminently superior to Martha’s. The excellence of Mary’s lay in her preferring to ascertain the Lord’s mind (to derive from Him) to ministering and giving to Him like Martha. It is a great blessing to see that the Lord prefers your patient desire to learn His mind to your zealous labour for Him. He prefers the servant who seeks communion with Him to the servant who without [p. 42] the communion devotedly works for Him. Communion is more to Him than any work. To be like Mary it is not enough to study the scriptures; you require to be so near Him that He may direct you to scripture and explain His mind to you by scripture. Though you may spend as much time in doing so as another would in working for Him, be assured that He will prefer you to be in concert with His mind. It is of course right to study scripture and to enjoy its unfoldings, but this may be mere knowledge, and will be misapplied if there be not concert with His mind. It is not what you can do, or how you can turn an opportunity to good account, but one thing absorbs your heart. There is often great interest in the scriptures without communion. In communion Christ is always paramount, and you will be more occupied with His pleasure than with the effect of His words on yourself.
May you be so His friend that He will tell you what He is doing (Proverbs 8. 14, 15). The Lord grant that you may begin this coming year in a renewed and special way set on communion with Him. I do not mean merely praying, but I mean in the transforming effect of His presence, so that you are controlled according to His pleasure.
And with adoring fervour,
In this Thy nature grow. (51:5)