LOVING TO LEARN

And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard His Word – Luke 10:39

Yesterday we meditated on learning to learn, with reference to few learners in the Bible: Moses, Daniel, Paul, and Timothy. Today, we underline the need to “Love to learn”! Jesus was a learner: “Now it was so that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions” (Lk. 2:46). Jesus learnt all the way to Calvary’s Cross: “…He learned obedience by the things which He suffered” (Heb.5:8). He never despised or resisted learning. Jesus loved to learn.

Luke juxtaposed the story of a lawyer – a worldly learned person, Martha, a busy, overworked woman, and her sister Mary, a reflective woman who loved to learn at the feet of her Lord. The learned lawyer displayed his expert knowledge and tried to justify himself, but fell short of divine acceptance or commendation. Even then, the Lord used the occasion to teach on the meaning and value of being a good neighbor, before focusing on the scene in Martha’s home. To Martha, it wasn’t the time to sit and listen to Jesus; it was time to ride on the crest of enthusiasm and a whirlwind of activity. Yet, the harder she worked, the more worked-up she became.

You must be a learner. The Master’s invitation is: “Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me…” (Mt. 11:28,29). Refuse to be distracted by anxiety, busy-ness, and worry. It is in learning of Jesus that your labor is lightened. In learning at the Master’s feet, Mary chose the “good portion” that could never be taken away from her (Luke 10:39-42). Stop fretting and worrying; start listening to the Lord.

Ultimately the learner becomes the learned! Isaiah prophesied: “The Lord God has given Me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens my ear to hear as the learned” (Isa. 50:4). You must ready, willing, and enthusiastic to sit and learn at the feet of the Master. Turn every of life’s events into an opportunity to learn something of value. Do you love to learn at the Master’s feet?