Mary is sitting at our Lord’s feet, sitting and listening to all he has to say. I picture her being close enough to touch his robe. I see her looking up at him in awe and with reverence, hanging onto every word he says, enjoying every minute of being in his presence that she can.
Martha, on the other hand, is busy, busy preparing and serving Jesus in a completely different way. Perhaps she is straining to hear, just managing to pick up bits of the conversation as she goes about doing all the serving that her sister has left her to do.
We all have a way of praying and serving the Lord and our postures will differ too. There are many online sites that will describe the best postures for prayer, worship, adoration et al. One of these says: “Kneeling is a traditional posture that demonstrates humility, repentance, submission, and supplication. It is the position that we see most often where one is seeking favor or making their
supplications known to God”. (omstars.com)
In this reading, we are presented with the two very different postures of these women. Mary, sitting at the feet of Jesus, calls to mind the very same posture Jesus had as a young boy sitting at the feet of the rabbis and teachers in the temple in Jerusalem. A posture of learning and listening but also showing deep respect for those older and wiser. “Seated prayer postures typically
demonstrate one who is seeking guidance, counsel, or instruction from The Lord. Sometimes we read how one would use a seated position to simply be alone, find calm, peace, quiet, and just bask in the presence of God. Jesus often went to be alone with His Father and pray.” (omstars.com)
I invite you to consider your own prayer posture and how it is that you come to the Lord to listen and learn.
