Sitting at His Feet

Jesus at the Home of Mary and Martha

by Anton Robert Leinweber (1845 – 1921):

Sitting at Yeshuah’s feet

Following in His steps

Sometimes it’s hard, but oh so sweet –

So I have no regrets!

NOTE:  As I was writing this article, I thought of some lyrics for a song to come.  I do have my many lyrics here and some of my songs are here.  Now back to my article:

“SITTING AT SOMEONE’S FEET”

“Sitting at someone’s feet” is a Hebrew idiom. St. Paul sat at “the feet of Gamaliel” as a disciple. (Acts 22:3) This is also a phrase used in the Torah:

DEUT 33:3 (KJV)

Yea, he loved the people; all his saints are in thy hand: and they sat down at thy feet; every one shall receive of thy words.

Alexander MacLaren, who had most likely a King James Version, explained the passage this way:

“These two clauses make up one picture, and one easily understands what it is. It represents a group of docile scholars, sitting at the Master’s feet. He is teaching them, and they listen open-mouthed and open-eared to what he says, and will take his words into their lives … the general result is this, that perhaps instead of ‘sitting down at Thy feet’ we should read ‘followed at Thy feet.’ That suggests the familiar metaphor of a guide and those led by him who, without him, know not their road.” (MacLaren’s Expositions)

So now we see in the English Standard Version (and other versions) this phrase, which gives the “familiar metaphor”.

DEUT 33:3 (ESV)

Yes, he loved his people, all his holy ones were in his hand; so they followed in your steps, receiving direction from you,

So, “sitting at someone’s feet” is virtually the same as “following in someone’s steps”. They have a similar meaning.

SITTING AT YESHUAH’S FEET

1COR 11:1 Imitate me [St. Paul], just as I also imitate Christ.

We know that the apostles followed and tried to imitate Christ, but, in Scripture, who else sat at the feet of Yeshuah? It was a member of the fairer sex!

LUKE 10:39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word.

Notice that this is the sentiments in Deuteronomy 33:3: “they sat down at thy feet; every one shall receive of thy words“.

This Hebrew idiom is corroborated with these quotes from Bible scholars.

“SAT AT JESUS’ FEET – This was the ancient posture of disciples or learners. They sat at the “feet” of their teachers – that is, beneath them, in a humble place. Hence, Paul is represented as having been brought up at the “feet” of Gamaliel, Acts 22:3. When it is said that Mary sat at Jesus’ feet, it means that she was “a disciple” of his; that she listened attentively to his instructions, and was anxious to learn his doctrine.” – Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

“Mary sits there as a learner (Acts 22:3), not as a companion at table … There is no trace of any reclining at table; the context in κ. ἤκουε τ. λόγ. αὐτ. points only to the idea of the FEMALE DISCIPLE.” Meyer’s NT Commentary

So while Martha was doing the leg work, Mary was sitting at Yeshuah’s feet. When Martha complained, Yeshuah replied that Mary had made the right choice.

LUKE 10:41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Yeshuah the Messiah was most liberating to His female followers! He let them learn which was not too popular at that time! Yet, one has to learn submissively, before one can teach.

GAL 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

FROM “LEGION” TO LEARNED

There was a man possessed by this “Legion” of demons. Yeshuah delivered him and sent “Legion” into the swine herd.

LUKE 8:34 (NKJV) When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. 35 Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid.

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers:

(35) Sitting at the feet of Jesus.–This feature is peculiar to St. Luke’s narrative. The demoniac was now in the same attitude of rapt attention as that in which we find afterwards Mary the sister of Lazarus.

How much did this now-delivered man learn while he was sitting at the feet of Yeshuah? He was learning the Way. How long did he learn? It doesn’t say. But the feeders went into the city and into the countryside and then came back with the other residents. With fear, they asked the LORD to leave! They rejected the LORD! Yet afterwards, maybe the delivered man might have convinced some to come to Christ as he was proclaiming “throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.” (LUKE 8:39)

And that’s a partial story of “the maniac who became a missionary” as John MacArthur calls him in his sermon.

FOLLOWING IN HIS STEPS

Yeshuah our Messiah is the one we should follow wholeheartedly. We should sit at His feet and listen. Listen to His voice, His Word, His guidance. We should attempt to follow in His steps through the Holy Spirit within us. We will fail sometimes, but we keep on, knowing He, the Spirit of Christ, is for us and not against us.

ROM 8:31b … If God be for us, who can be against us?

Sometimes this following of Christ is difficult. Sometimes it means persecution. Sometimes it means death. Sometimes it means “death to self.” But sitting at the feet of our Savior, learning to be like Him, is something that I will never, never regret!

Sitting at Yeshuah’s feet

Following in His steps

Sometimes it’s hard, but oh so sweet –

So I have no regrets!

Then one day, at the resurrection of the just, we, as trusters in Christ, shall all be changed!

1JOHN 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.