When Strength Kneels: Why the Strongest Men Sit First

By - Pastor-Teacher Freddy Cortez, National Capital Bible Church
Steadfast in the Word…

Luke 10:38–42:

38 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”

41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

This reflection is a modified version of a study recently shared at our National Capital Bible Church Men’s Prayer and Breakfast Fellowship. Luke’s account of Mary and Martha is familiar, but familiarity can dull force. When read slowly, it quietly reshapes how we define strength.

Jesus entered a certain village, and Martha welcomed Him into her house (Luke 10:38). Her sister Mary “sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word” (Luke 10:39). Martha, meanwhile, was “distracted with much serving” (Luke 10:40). Eventually, she asks, “Lord, do You not care…?” And Jesus answers tenderly, “Martha, Martha…”

That repetition is not irritation. It is compassion. It is the voice of a Shepherd correcting without crushing (Psalm 23:1–3).

We live in a culture that equates strength with motion. The man who produces, manages, fixes, builds, and moves quickly is admired. Diligence is honorable (Proverbs 22:29). Responsibility matters. But in Bethany that day, the strongest person in the room was not the one moving. It was the one sitting.

Mary chose to sit.

In the first-century world, sitting at someone’s feet was the posture of a disciple (Acts 22:3). It meant humility. It meant attentiveness. It meant, “Before I act, I listen.” Mary was not passive. She was intentional. She understood something Psalm 46:10 declares plainly: “Be still, and know that I am God.”

Martha was not idle. She was sincerely serving the Lord. That is what makes the passage so instructive. The issue was not rebellion, but misalignment. The challenge arose not from wrongdoing, but from being slowly pulled in too many directions. Luke says she was “distracted,” suggesting her attention had been drawn away from what mattered most.

It is possible to be busy for Christ and yet slowly pulled away from closeness with Christ.

Service driven by anxiety feels heavy. Service rooted in fellowship feels steady. Martha’s anxiety distorted her perspective. “Lord, do You not care…?” When worry builds, even faithful believers can begin to question the Lord’s concern — even while He is present. Anxiety narrows vision. It magnifies tasks and minimizes trust.

Jesus answers, “You are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed” (Luke 10:41–42).

One thing.

Not a better strategy. Not more output. One necessary priority.

Mary “has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” That last phrase matters deeply. Meals are eaten and forgotten. Projects are completed and replaced. Recognition fades. But truth received at Christ’s feet cannot be confiscated. Jesus later said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away” (Matthew 24:35). Fellowship with Him produces something durable inside the soul.

For men especially, this presses gently but firmly. Many of us are wired to fix first and reflect later. We want to lead, protect, solve, and provide. Those instincts can be honorable. But spiritual authority does not grow from intensity. It grows from intimacy. Jesus Himself often withdrew to solitary places to pray (Luke 5:16). If the Son of God prioritized unhurried fellowship with the Father, we dare not treat it as optional.

The strongest men sit first.

Not because they lack initiative, but because they understand sequence. Proximity precedes productivity. Hearing precedes leading. Stillness precedes stability. Psalm 1:2–3 describes the blessed man as one who delights in the law of the Lord and meditates in it day and night. That man becomes “like a tree planted by the rivers of water.” Stability grows from saturation.

When Jesus entered Martha’s house, strength began with welcome. Christ was received before any task was performed. That order matters. A home can be busy and still spiritually thin if Christ is treated as a guest instead of the center. Colossians 2:6 reminds believers, “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.” The Christian life continues the way it begins — by depending on Him.

This passage is not about earning eternal life through quiet devotion. Everlasting life is the free gift of God (Romans 6:23). The Lord Jesus Christ guarantees eternal life to every person who believes in Him (John 3:16; John 5:24). It is confidence in His promise. The one who believes in Him has life that will never be taken away.

If you have never believed in Christ for that free gift, you may do so right now. Be persuaded that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, who guarantees everlasting life to all who believe in Him. The moment you believe, that life is yours forever — secure because it rests on His finished work, not your consistency (John 19:30).

And for those who already belong to Him, the exhortation is equally clear: remain near. “Abide in Me,” Jesus said, “and I in you” (John 15:4). Do not let busyness crowd out listening. Sit before you speak. Hear before you lead. Let fellowship shape your decisions.

Strength in the kingdom rarely begins with noise. It begins with nearness.

Sit first. Hear His Word. And then rise — not from pressure, but from presence.

This post was written by Pastor Freddy Cortez of National Capital Bible Church in Springfield, VA. If you have questions about this post or Christianity in general, please contact us today!