Luke 10:38-42

38 Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. 40 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.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; 42 there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”

There is so much packed into these five verses in the Gospel of Luke.

There is a book by Joanna Weaver called “Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World” that I have read several times, the first of which being about 20 years ago. I was so convicted by the story told here and the study of that book that this became one of my favorite Bible stories. When I began the journey as a candidate for ministry I was told “this is an arduous process with a lot to learn and a lot to do; don’t lose Jesus in the process” and I immediately thought of this story of the two sisters.

Luke tells us here that Jesus has “set his face to go to Jerusalem” and on the way he goes to a certain village where he is welcomed by a woman named Martha. Jesus comes to her home where she is too busy and distracted by preparations and tasks to spend time with him and hear what he has to say. Her sister, Mary, on the other hand, stops everything to listen at his feet. When Martha complains to Jesus that Mary has left her to do all the work, he tells her that Mary has “chosen the better part”. Instead of being worried and distracted she chose “the one thing” “that will not be taken from her”.

Friends, there is much going on in the world that worries and distracts us. There are many tasks that vie for our attention. But the better part, the one that will never be taken from us is found at the feet of Jesus. What do we miss when Jesus waits for us to come to him and listen ? What needless cares burden us while Christ waits at the table for us as we busy ourselves in preparation?

Mary knew that Jesus would rather feed than be fed. He would rather have us near him listening and engaged than worried and anxious, busied by the doing of many things.

In this season of thanksgiving and anticipation let us consider making at least as much time to spend time with our Savior as we spend in going about the busyness of the holidays either literally or in our heads.

We don’t want to miss the better thing; what Jesus may have stopped by to say. If we don’t miss that – the hospitality will be taken care of; because we have His love in our hearts, we will always be prepared to receive Him.

Prayer:

Let us pray: Holy God, we receive You into our hearts and into our presence with all that we are. There is much going on in our world to distract us from You. Calm our hearts, O God, that we might not only make time, but desire to sit at Your feet and listen, receive the better part and be wholly absorbed in You.

We pray these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.