Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me. But the Lord answered her, Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her. (Luke 10:38-42 ESV)
Here we have a text some would say leads us to think we only need to sit at Jesus’ feet, and listen. That doing is not necessary. And if you only read this text, then yes you could come to that conclusion. Yet we can not take this text by itself. We must remember what came before it, the story of the “Good Samaritan.” So we must do and also sit at Jesus’ feet.
You see the word distracted in the verses above means, pulled, dragged, or jerked. Martha was pulled, dragged and jerked around by many things. How many of us are pulled, dragged or jerked around by lots of things?
We let so many things creep in and take our time and attention, but as Jesus tells Martha, on,y one thing is necessary, and what is that one thing?
From last week, and the lawyer answered Jesus, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself. (Luke 10:27 ESV) This is the one thing that is necessary. That is why Jesus says to Martha, that Mary has chosen the better thing and it will not be taken from her. We need to have a balance of loving God and loving neighbor. If you only love your neighbor but take no time for God, then you are incomplete, and if you only ever sit at His feet and listen, you are not living out your faith.
So go and serve, and come and sit, and allow God to work in and through you.
aSacredRebel 