Jump Start # 3953
Luke 10:41-42 “But the Lord answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.’”
Oh, Martha. She doesn’t come off well in this passage. She gets the double repeating of her name, Martha, Martha by the Lord. The emphasis is to grab her attention. Jesus and the apostles, thirteen guests, show up. Common decency and hospitality would offer them something to eat. Martha’s in the kitchen and Mary is sitting at Jesus’ feet. While the food is cooking so is Martha’s attitude and spirit, especially towards her sister Mary. Why is she sitting when there are all these guests to feed? Why won’t she step in and help me? I expect there were a few stern stares from Martha to Mary. Maybe she waved her hand a couple of times. Banged a pan, cleared her throat loudly, nothing would move Mary. When she had all she could take, Martha interrupts Jesus with the demand, “Tell Mary to help me.”
Martha often gets a lot of criticism. It wasn’t the serving of the guests that was wrong. This was not sinful. Later on, we find her again serving Jesus. She was wearing the apron of a servant. The Lord had talked about that often. But, poor Martha was “worried and bothered about so many things.” One can just imagine. Are the biscuits done? Still have to cut up some veggies. Time to turn over the meat. Need to get more water. Running, running and running, she was trying so hard to please the Lord.
And, this lesson falls ever so gently into our laps and our times today. How does one be a Mary in a Martha world? So many things to get done. So much to worry about. So many distractions. Stressed. Running. Trying to please the Lord. Trying to please the church. Trying to please family. Trying to please in-laws. Trying to please the boss. The only one who is not pleased is ourselves. Tired. Ragged. Worn out. Feeling discouraged because no one else is helping out. Feeling like you are the only one who does anything. Work. School. Taking care of family. Teaching Bible classes. Running the kids to every kind of practice in existence. Feeling pressured to get the house ready for the holidays. Knowing that Thanksgiving is coming and there is so much to do. Holiday shopping needs to start. And, in the back of our minds we hear, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things…”
How do you be a Mary in a Martha world? Is it even possible these days?
First, stop trying to impress and please others. I think this was one of Martha’s issues. The Lord didn’t need a feast. The Lord was simple. He would have enjoyed the snack of a poor boy that consisted of barley crackers and dried fish. So, your house isn’t decorated like you see in the magazines. So. So, others do more than you do. So. Drop the spirit of competition and trying to out do and be the best. The Lord and the apostles were not on the brink of starvation. If the Lord could feed 5,000 then He could have provided food for that small crowd in Martha’s house.
What impresses God is not what we accomplish but rather our faith in Him. Come sit at His feet, even though you don’t have dinner cooked. Come sit at His feet even though the house isn’t clean. Come sit at His feet even though there are toys scattered about on the floor. Come sit at His feet even though the yard needs to be mowed and the leaves need to be raked. There are always things to be done. You will never get every item on your to-do list checked off. Never.
The spiritual is always greater than the physical. The spiritual food given to us by the Lord does us so much more good than the physical food.
Second, Jesus said to Martha, “Only one thing is necessary.” That can be looked at in two different directions. The most obvious is that Mary has chosen the good part. That is what is necessary. But it can also refer to what Martha was doing. You don’t need to cook a feast. Just bring one thing.
One thing is necessary—that’s a tough lesson in these days. I keep a jar of M & Ms on my office desk. The little ones in church will ask me for “mimies.” I look at their mothers and sometimes mom will hold up two fingers. Only two M & Ms. The child runs ahead of me into the office, eyes as big as saucers, and wants to grab a handful. One thing is necessary. Picking one is hard. Knowing what is necessary is hard. We tend to squeeze just about anything and everything into that “one thing” column. And, that results in us being worried, distracted and bothered.
One thing is necessary. Think about that at the judgment. Will the Lord care that you got your oil changed in your car every 3,000 miles? How about being diligent to fertilize the yard? How about going to the dentist every six months? What is the one thing necessary? More than anything else, it is walking with Jesus all the way to Heaven. Today, tomorrow and forever, being with the Lord. The house may not be what you think it should be. Keeping up with the latest and greatest and newest may not be what I do. What matters is the one thing that is necessary.
Martha, Martha. Oh, should I say, “Roger, Roger.” Why are you worried and bothered by so many things? Let them go. Don’t get distracted. Keep your eyes on Jesus.
It is possible to be a Mary in a Martha world.
Roger