Women have always cheered at the story of Mary of Bethany in Luke 10:38-42. Mary wanted to sit and learn from Jesus, in spite of Martha’s bossy reminders that a long list of chores had her name on them. Despite Martha’s protests, Jesus took her side.
I’ve written before about how Jewish culture sheds light on this story. The text says that Mary “sat at the Lord’s feet,” which was an idiom that referred to studying with a rabbi as a disciple. In Acts 22:3, Paul uses this same expression to boast of his advanced rabbinic education “at the feet of Gamaliel.” The idea here is not that Mary chose the floor to show her utter subservience. It’s that she had boldly included herself in Jesus’ innermost circle of disciples, at least for that evening.
Recently I discovered that Jesus’ Jewish context can unlock more of his words in this passage. I’ve been studying verse 42. The odd wording has always puzzled translators. Literally, it reads,
“Mary indeed the good portion (agathen merida) has chosen, which will not be taken from her.”
Typically, English versions will smooth out this line by saying that Mary has “chosen what’s better.” Of course her piety was better than Martha’s distracted worrying. But something more interesting is going on. The Greek text doesn’t simply say that Mary made a “better choice.” It says, literally, that she had chosen the “good portion” (agathen merida). The phrase Jesus uses here is specifically used in Jewish circles about the goodness of Torah study.
The Greek word merida is likely “helek” in Hebrew. It means “portion,” “part,” “share,” or “lot,” and often refers to a share of inheritance, or one’s lot in life, metaphorically.
The word comes up in Jewish writings in a context very similar to this one. When groups gather to study, it’s traditional to pray beforehand: “ten helkenu b’toratekha” — God, please “give us our portion in your Torah.” Upon leaving, one would thank God for one’s “portion” in life, which was good because one had a chance to study the Scriptures. Listen to how one early rabbi (1st-2nd cent AD) would pray as he left each day’s session:
“I thank thee, Lord my God, God of my fathers, that you set my portion with those who sit in the study hall and the synagogues, and you did not set my portion with those who sit in the theaters and circuses.” (Jerusalem Talmud, Berakhot 4:2)
To this rabbi, meditating on the Scriptures was life as it was meant to be lived. He had been among the lucky few invited to linger on the very words of the living God. Here’s how another put it:
Turn it over and over because everything is in it. And reflect upon it and grow old and worn in it and do not leave it, for you have no better portion than this.” (Mishnah, Avot 5:2)
There’s no better portion in life than learning the Scriptures. To ruminate in its profound insights, to marinate in God’s wisdom — there’s simply nothing better.
This was the “good portion” that Mary chose – studying God’s Word. And, not only that, she had found the greatest rabbi of all time to teach her. Mary had found the very best thing in life, and Jesus would not let it be taken from her.
Marylin Bright says
Well done, Lois! Great insights! Would Ps. 16:6 “The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance” be similar to Jesus’ words to Mary?
Lois Tverberg says
Good question! That is the idea – that your “inheritance” from God is your “portion” in life.
In the psalms, David speaks of God as his “portion” too, by the way.
Psa. 119:57 The LORD is my portion;
I have promised to keep Your words.
Psa. 142:5 I cried out to You, O LORD;
I said, “You are my refuge,
My portion in the land of the living.
CMoore says
Oh Lord how excellent is thy name in al the earth for you have allowed me to find my portion among those that are sanctified. AMEN
Tim Babatunde says
The Queen of Sheba commented on how blessed the ones that seat at the feet of Solomon I Kings 10:8, I believe they too choose the good part .Queen of Sheba called them blessed. Your writing on these matter has a transforming effect on the heart of a diligent student of the word thank you .
Blessings.
Mary says
I am so encouraged by this. For three years I have been devouring scriptures, teachings, and God has been revealing his truth and this passage has meant so much to me. Thank you for your this as it takes it to an even deeper level and is so timely for this Mary. God bless you and may he enlarge your portion as well.
Floyd Quinerly says
Im intrigued and will be giving this scripture futher consideration and prayer thanks for this thought provoking pearl.
Maiyehinu Bayode says
Let’s also look at the book of Jeremiah 29:13 it says And you shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart. Without the word life is meaningless.
Paul Scott says
Lois thank you so much for sharing your “good portion” with us. It encourages us and challenges us to jump into the Word and study more diligently. Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”
Daniel Folawole Olulana says
Words of God ever liveth; in this fast moving world of “corruption”, Christians should step up control and purpose to turn our youth to God. Devil will stop at nothing destroying destinies but as long as the Word remain our delight, no force of hell can derail. We MUST be like Apostle Paul In his charge to Timothy in bringing”his parchments……”.
Thank you for this piece. There is no alternative in all our “getting” than Wisdom from His WORD!
Daniel
Anthony says
Any chance “good portion” connects us to Cain & Able? Not that she has murder in her heart, but that the jelousy Martha may be feeling is something she needs to master.
Lois Tverberg says
Mmm…pretty much not at all.
When rabbinic connections are made, it’s almost always done by quoting words distinctive to the original story. There is no verbal connection here to the Cain and Abel story. But Jesus’ words here have a clear link to multiple well-known sayings about the study of Torah.
Christie Lothamer says
wow, i think you miss a trick by focusing on the “knowledge” of God’s word. I agree with everything you said, I just feel that with Jesus things are always deeper and he isn’t so focused on intellectual knowledge but intimate knowledge. Epignosko kind of knowing. Mary’s place at Jessu feel and her relishing with her portion mean that she got more than a good bible lesson, she got HIM! She has a relationship with HIM! We border on the pharisaical “you search the scriptures because you think in them you find eternal life, but eternal life is found in me!” There will be no Bible reading in heaven, it is not our portion. JESUS, the living word, he is our portion!
Lois Tverberg says
Wow. No.
Yes, there is emotional “knowledge of God” – I’ve written about it a lot.
But Christie, my life for the past twenty-five years is a testimony to the fact that the depths and the riches of studying God’s Word are unending, but some of the study requires boring, boring things like learning languages and digging into commentaries.
I grew up in a church with your attitude of “Just give Jesus a BIG HUG” and it was completely inadequate for when my faith was challenged, like when I had New Testament professors in college who were very skeptical of the historical reliability of the Bible. I almost lost my faith before I found much better scholarship that showed that Jesus expected his listeners to know their Old Testament well, and he frequently referred to it and made brilliant points from it and radical claims to be the One it was talking about. My New Testament professors had no clue about this and they were missing the amazing claims he was making. That’s what I’ve written several books about.
Study is the highest form of worship, Christie.
When we pray, we speak to God, but when we study, He speaks to us.