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Originally Posted by OBW
So within this passage I cannot find the "pearl" that is mentioned.
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I think we can all agree that Eze 44 and the story of Mary and Martha are both very much related to the service of the Lord.
In Eze 44 God makes it very clear that there are levites that serve Him at a distance, and then there are levites that come into His inner sanctuary and serve Him directly. It is also very clear that these are not two equal options in the service, but rather a lower calling and a higher calling.
What helped me the most with understanding the story of Martha and Mary is John 12:3-8 where Jesus says that Mary anointed him beforehand for the burial. Combine that with Luke 10 and He says something amazing "wherever the gospel is preached what she has done will be spoken of for a memorial for her". He just placed her into the Hebrews chapter 11 "hall of faith". According to the Lord it was an amazing work of faith that set the example to all who would preach the gospel for the next 2,000 years. A work of faith that would be set alongside the gospel.
Did we see Mary sweat? I didn't.
If there was a secret to what she did it was to sit at Jesus' feet and listen to His word before serving Him. Her act was sure to heap ridicule on her head, the only way she could do that is to have a lot of faith and that faith came by hearing what the Lord was speaking concerning going to Jerusalem and being crucified.
Suppose the Lord had not found a single person to actually hear what He was saying and respond as Mary did? It would be as though "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son and no one cared". Her response was proof of our ability to receive the gospel.
So sure, Martha did a lot of service, but without Mary would the gospel really be "good news" or an indictment on how far we had fallen? Isn't it the same thing with the house of Zadok?