Sitting in God’s presence

Here are  further gospel incidents where we find two very different people sitting at the feet of Jesus. The first in the house of Mary and Martha  with Martha busy dealing with all the domestic necessities required when entertaining a guest where we read, “She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His every word.” Luke 10:39 

The second comes at the end of the narrative following the healing by Jesus of the man nicknamed Legion who was possess by so many devils that his maniac behaviour had caused him to bound and banned as many saw him as so dangerous. But the we read “The crowds came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man sitting there, clothed and in his right mind” Mark 5:15

When I read such beautiful intimate word pictures my mind goes to hymn sung long ago,

I think when I read that sweet story of old,
When Jesus was here among men,
How he called little children like lambs to his fold;
I should like to have been with him then.

I wish that his hands had been placed on my head,
That his arms had been thrown around me,
That I might have seen his kind look when he said,
“Let the little ones come unto me.”

The idea of sitting at the feet of Jesus enthralled by his words  warms my heart.

In the case of the Bethany incident, on seeing Martha become critical of Jesus and Mary. I ask for the ability to be present to how God is present in me and in others. Even if there is much to be done right now, I hear the invitation to sit at Jesus' feet and to listen to his teaching.

In the second picture in spite of the phonetic madness of the rush of daily life that impacts upon our wellbeing perhaps through the healing presence of Jesus, he wills us to also sit at his feet, enveloped in his care and find our right mind is indeed the mind of Christ.

God

for everything there is a time,

and time is now our most precious commodity.

Our clocks are always running.

From birth to death:

during times of joy and sorrow:

work and play:

business and pleasure:

speech and silence:

worship and church activities:

tick, tock, tick, tock.

We are like Martha,

with our long to-do lists.

Slow us down Lord,

and for now simply remind us that

only one thing is needful,

to sit still at your feet

and know that you are God.  Amen.