“Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things;there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”  Luke 10:38-42

“All over the world, people go to unimaginable lengths to find God–which is sad when you consider the unimaginable lengths God has already gone to find us” (Joanna Weaver, Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World: Finding Intimacy with God in the Busyness of Life)

A good sermon can be preached in a house; and when our friends come to  visit we should be prepared to listen as much as to speak. Sitting at Christ’s feet signifies readiness to receive his word, and perhaps even to learn some guidance from it. Martha was providing for the entertainment of Christ, and those that came with him. She demonstrates respect to our Lord Jesus through the ministry of hospitality and the right care of her household affairs. Yet there is someone to be blamed – there is always someone to blame.

The care and concern of everyday matters can be a snare to us when it hinders us from serving G-d or serving each other. What needless time is wasted, and expense often laid out in the act of entertaining. I see such waste in the overly expensive wedding receptions that are currently all the rage in our society. Was Martha wrong for feeling the way she did? On this occasion she was a true believer caught up in her earthly roles and responsibilities. Mary had chosen the good part as Jesus determines and yet perhaps should still have lent a hand.

The good part in this life for Christians is to not allow our earthly roles and responsibilities to deny us the things we need in searching for the things we think we want. The best part comes in serving and listening to Jesus. Without the guidance of Christ and the discipline of listening to the voice of Jesus, we may also find ourselves not doing the good we should.

Pastor Dave