If I could offer the world free front row tickets to watch a world renowned sports team in the playoffs, or an internationally famed rock star’s final concert, or to a brand new play featuring the most famous actress in her final performance, the lines would extend forever, my phone would never stop ringing, the e-mails would never cease, and much of the world would be lined up pleading hungrily and thirstily for free front row tickets. But I have spent some years now writing and talking about free front row tickets to the greatest opportunity in the universe, and there is no line, the phone barely rings, the e-mails rarely come, and the world hungrily and thirstily stands in line for almost everything and everyone else.
When I used the Bible concordance to look up some key individual words in the story of Mary and Martha in the Bible and looked carefully at the words chosen to describe their story, I noticed that Jesus told Martha that her sister Mary had “chosen” what was “needful” – “that good part”. Mary had “chosen” what would not be “taken away from her.” While Martha was “cumbered” (distracted and dragged around) and “careful” (anxious) and troubled about lots of stuff, Mary took advantage of the free front row ticket by sitting at the feet of Jesus. She not only sat at His feet; she “heard (hear and understand) His Word.” She listened to what He said, and she had understanding.
The Lord offers us a free front row ticket to sit at the feet of Jesus to spend time with Him and to study and hear and understand and to put into practice His Word, the Bible. When Adam and Eve sinned and were kicked out of the Garden of Eden, all of humanity ever since has been born into sin and the curse of death and eternity in hell and permanent separation from God. Why is a front row ticket at the feet of Jesus free? Because Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins so if we repent of our sins and believe in Christ as Lord we can be forgiven and have a relationship with the Lord now and forever in heaven as we commit our lives to Him and His ways. We don’t have to pay for the ticket to have this relationship with God and sit at the feet of Jesus; Jesus paid the price.
Yet the world, dragged around and distracted by the cares of this world, anxious to fulfill its lusts and enjoy the world’s pleasures to satisfy the flesh, is lined up for free front row tickets to the world’s pleasures and countless false gods and false religions and deadly idols. There is a price to be paid, though it might not seem that way in the moment. That price ultimately to live a life apart from faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and a life dedicated to following the ways of the Lord God almighty instead of the ways of this world is death and eternity in hell forever separated from the love and magnificence of God. Even those who profess to believe in Jesus Christ are not all taking the love, time, care, and making the commitment to sit at the feet of Jesus and to hear the Word of God and to put it into practice.
If you are being dragged around by the cares and pleasures of this world, and distracted by the busyness of life, I have a warning for you. Don’t stand in line with the world for free front row tickets for hell. Humble yourself, repent of your sins, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, commit yourself to the ways of the Lord, study the Bible, and take the time daily to sit at the feet of the Lord. Just as Jesus told Martha, the “needful” part was, and is, to sit at the feet of the Lord!
Luk 10:38 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.
Luk 10:39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.
Luk 10:40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
Luk 10:41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
Luk 10:42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.