Tuesday, August 8, 2006 · no responses · comments closed

In yesterday’s post, we looked at Martha and Mary and the promise Jesus makes to those who choose to sit at His feet: “it will not be taken away” (Luke 10:42 ESV). Time with God is always time well spent.

I want to dig a little further into Jesus’ reply to Martha. He says, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her” (v. 41 — 42). There are likely a number of thoughts that could be drawn from this; I want to focus on “Mary has chosen the good portion.” Some translations render this “Mary has made a better choice,” and that’s certainly seems to capture the gist of what Jesus is getting at. But He didn’t actually say that; He said Mary chose “the good portion” and that is what will never be taken away.

This is an appropriate place to insert a disclaimer: I’m not a scholar of Greek and Hebrew, and I want to be careful to not make more of the word choices and translation than is warranted. Having said that, I am trained to be sensitive and attentive to language (that’s what an English degree is for!), and it’s my habit to consider why things are said one way and not another. So, back to the passage — 

The Greek here can be rendered part or portion; I would contend that portion is the better word because of the way it recalls Old Testament ideas of inheritance. When the psalmist says, “The Lord is my chosen portion” (Psalm 16:5 ESV), he’s not just saying “I choose God.” Portion here and other places in the Old Testament carries the idea of inheritance — the portion or part allotted to one. The source of this is found in Numbers 18; God is explaining how the Levites will live and work. The other tribes were given specific portions of land for their inheritance; that land provided the basis for their living. The Levites served God; He wanted them focused on Him, not on getting a living. And so God explains that they will eat of the offerings brought by the people. Their inheritance in a literal sense is the tithe. But God carries this a step further:

And the Lord said to Aaron, “You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the people of Israel. (v. 20)

Their portion is God Himself. What an amazing thought! God says, “Judah gets this piece of land; Reuben gets that one. But Levi, you get Me.” And so, Jesus tells Martha that Mary has chosen the good portion and it will not be taken away. Peter tells us we are priests — you, me, anyone who is has acknowledged Jesus as Lord and Savior. God says to us — to you and me — “You get Me.” (Pause. And calmly think of that!)