Once again, God has brought me back to the "one thing" of which Jesus spoke in Lk 10:42. What is it, and why is it of such significance? J N Geldenhuys writes that it refers to Mary's "spiritual exercise of communion with Jesus". Leon Morris makes the point that "waiting quietly on the Lord – sitting at his feet and learning from him – is more important than bustling busy-ness". The J F & B Commentary has: "There is one thing, above all else, that is necessary: to spend time exclusively with Jesus and to listen to his words with undistracted attention".

All this is true, but in this context Mary was not alone with Jesus. She was with his disciples, and her primary concern was to "listen to what he said". She already had a heart-longing to properly understand and obey his every word. What might have been the content of his teaching on that occasion? Martha and Mary lived in Bethany, just two miles from Jerusalem. It seems to me that it could have included the reasons why he needed to die, as well as unpacking and explaining his commandments that, in their keeping, mark out those who truly love him. Accountability and great encouragement are involved when a group learn together, especially when they live in transparency and loving harmony with each other.

Mary's many acts of devotion and worship, nurtured at the feet of Jesus, listening to him, loving him, believing in him and in everything he said, caused her to receive more and more revelation and understanding. This led to her pouring 500 ml of extremely expensive perfume (worth £18,000.00) over the feet of her beloved Saviour (Jn 12:1-8). This was an act of pure, wholehearted love and devotion, but also of faith and trust beyond the comprehension of the disciples. Peter had rebuked Jesus for saying it was necessary for him to die. Mary seems to have known it was imperative, and anointed his body for burial ahead of time. Was she the first to realize that Jesus had come to die for us? For Mary it seems the "one thing" was Jesus Himself.

I have just received a prayer letter from Katie (a young single missionary living for Jesus in Brazil having recently moved from Fortaleza to Rio). What she writes is a brilliant and inspirational outworking of the "one thing".

"When I got here, I instantly fell in love with the community, the base, the missionaries, the church, the people who live in the slum – with everything! The biggest blessing is how much the team seek God's presence and love Him. I really feel like I've found my 'tribe' and a group of people who have the same focus and values as I do – what a joy! It's incredible to seek God's heart and see what happens when He manifests His presence and His kingdom in the midst of one of the 'lowest' places – literally in a slum in a rubbish dump! I'm so, so happy!"

"He truly is the pearl of great price and the greatest treasure that is possible to find or know. No one compares to Him. Nothing compares to His presence and His kingdom and His will and His ways! My prayer for you is that this Christmas you encounter Jesus – God who came in human form to be with us and love us and show us the way to life. True life is found in Him and I pray that whatever your circumstances, you taste the sweetness of His life and the deep joy that is found in Him. This remains true even when things are really hard and challenging. Seek Him and embrace Him and it truly will be worth it! What a joy it is to rejoice in Him every day from morning to night! What a joy it is to daily go to the prayer house and seek His face and His heart! The more we look at Him the more we will become like Him! What stunning Good News!"