The Better Part

Tom Kingery

Description

“Strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33) THIS is what really matters…for everyone!

Jesus came to the home of Mary and Martha. Martha busied herself with preparing and serving a meal, while Mary sat at the feet of Jesus listening to His teaching.

When Martha suggested Jesus should tell her to help prepare the meal, He told her that Mary was choosing the better part.

Each one of us must ask ourselves why we seek Jesus. What is it about Him that feeds us? What is it that we want to be fed?

Mary had chosen the better part. She was being fed by Jesus. She was being fed so well that nothing else mattered, at least not the distraction of serving a meal.

In this book, Tom Kingery urges readers to spend time sitting at the feet of Jesus while listening to His teaching. This will feed your soul, nourish your spirit, improve your life, and enhance your faith. This is what really matters.

You’ll enjoy the parables and insights in this book that will help you focus on priorities as you seek God’s righteousness.

Sujets

• Religion
• Christianisme
• Christian Living
• Inspirational
• Philosophie et théologie
• Priority

Informations

• Publié par: WestBow Press
• Date de parution: 08 novembre 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781664281288
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

THE Better PART
 
 
 
 
 
 
TOM KINGERY
 
 
 
 

 
Copyright © 2022 Tom Kingery.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.
 
WestBow Press
A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.westbowpress.com
844-714-3454
 
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
 
ISBN: 978-1-6642-8129-5 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-8128-8 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2022919094
 
 
WestBow Press rev. date: 11/07/2022
CONTENTS
Introduction
 
Chapter 1     Strive First for the Kingdom
Chapter 2     Humble Yourselves
Chapter 3     Take Up a Cross
Chapter 4     Abide in Me
Chapter 5     Ways the Kingdom Is Found
Chapter 6     Living Water
Chapter 7     Treasure in Heaven
Chapter 8     The Resurrection and the Life
Chapter 9     Jesus Christ Is in You
 
Conclusion
INTRODUCTION
Now as they went on their way,
He entered a certain village,
Where a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home.
She had a sister named Mary,
Who sat at the Lord’s feet
And listened to what He was saying.
But Martha was distracted by her many tasks
So she came to Him and asked,
“Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself?
Tell her then to help me.”
But the Lord answered her,
“Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things.
There is need of only one thing.
Mary has chosen the better part,
Which will not be taken away from her.
What really matters?
It was the home of Martha. Her sister, Mary, and her brother, Lazarus, lived with her. It was in Bethany. One day, Jesus was passing through town, and Martha invited Him to her home. She busied herself preparing a meal while Mary sat at Jesus’s feet and listened to His teachings. As a hospitable hostess, Martha was distracted with all the serving. She could have used some help from Mary, but Mary was sitting and listening to the Lord. As far as Martha was concerned, Mary was doing nothing. Finally, in her frustration, she went to Jesus and said,
“Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:40b–42)
Does it surprise you that the better part is sitting at the feet of Jesus and listening to His teaching? It is better, certainly, than being anxious and troubled, or distracted with service, but even eating a meal? Yes, even better than the meal she was preparing.
In the Gospel of John, in chapter 6, Jesus had just fed 5,000 the day before. Many of them wanted to see Jesus again, but He had disappeared. They had the idea that He had somehow crossed the sea of Galilee, so they got into boats and went after Him. When they found Him, they asked Him how He got there, and Jesus said,
“Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life” (John 6:26–27)
Each one of us must ask ourselves why we seek Jesus. What is it about Him that feeds us? What is it that we want to be fed? Mary had chosen the better part. She was being fed by Jesus. She was being fed so well that nothing else mattered, at least not the distraction of serving a meal.
“Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon him while he is near” (Isaiah 55:6). Feed upon the resources that truly give life, that give life to your soul. This is the better part.
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and return not there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10–11)
But it can’t accomplish much if it remains unknown. We cannot truly receive the bread of life if we never come to Christ, if we never receive the gift of truth that only Christ can give. He said, “l am the bread of life; they who come to me shall not hunger, and they who believe in me shall never thirst” (John 6:35).
Spend time sitting at the feet of Jesus while listening to His teaching. This will feed your soul, this will nourish your spirit, and this will enhance your life in such a way that you will grow in faith, you will be strengthened in wisdom, and you will begin to know even the thoughts of God. This is what really matters! Without sitting at the feet of Jesus and listening to His teaching, we can never know the ways of Christ or the thoughts of God. God said,
My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways … As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8–9)
The better part comes in learning the mind of Christ, in knowing what He would teach us. I know many who believe in Jesus but don’t know His teaching. I know many who love Him only partly because they don’t really try to get to know Him fully. I know many who lack a good understanding about the purpose of the church because they simply do not know the ways of God or the ways of Christ. They are higher ways, higher than our ways. They come from thoughts that are higher than our thoughts. When all we have are our own ideas about how to be faithful, we will fall short of being a true part of the body of Christ, we will fall short of being fed the bread of life, and we will continue to hunger because we have not come to Christ completely. We will continue to thirst because we have not believed in all He has taught.
I want us to share this bread of life. When Jesus told those who had come across the Sea of Galilee in search of Him, “My Father gives you the true bread from heaven, for the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world,” they said, “Lord, give us this bread always” (John 6:34). It sounds reminiscent of a phrase of the Lord’s Prayer. “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). And He didn’t really give them anything. He simply said, “l am the bread of life” (John 6:35).
Communion celebrates the gift that is the bread of life. We remember not that we are fed food for our bodies but that we are fed food for our souls. We remember the better part of faith, we remember the body of Christ that was broken so that we might be made whole, we remember the body of Christ that was crucified for our sins, and we remember the body of Christ, the church, of which Christ Himself is the head and we are all members.
Let everyone examine themselves and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup … For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon themselves. (1 Corinthians 11:28–29)
Here is a book that celebrates “the better part.” It is about “the food that endures to eternal life.” It examines “the bread of God that gives life to the world.” We need this food, for we do “not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).
WHAT TO DO
Seek the Lord. It sounds simple and ritualistic. But we search for love; we search for purpose. Searching for God is even more important. How will you seek God?
A PRAYER
Almighty God, You feed my soul and fill my heart. Help me relinquish anything in my life that might distract me from this blessing. And help me to give myself over to time spent at the feet of Jesus learning His words and discovering His way. Help me to remember the better part of seeking Your will and learning Your truth, for I know that Jesus calls us all to seek the food that endures to eternal life. I ask this prayer in Jesus’s name. Amen.
A SONG
You Can’t Take My Faith from Me
                      Take my money. Take my land.
                      Shake the ground where I might stand.
                      I’ve been touched. I’ve been healed.
                      Jesus is my hope and shield.
                      Demons dark—they may attack.
                      No! I’m never turning back.
                      I believe. Now I’m free.
                      You can’t take my faith from me!