Choosing Mary over Martha

No doubt about it, we live in a Martha world.

Martha was a woman who lived at the time of Jesus and had the good fortune to know him, first-hand. On one occasion, Jesus ate in her home, and it appears to have been one of the most stressful days of her life (Luke 10:38-42).

I totally relate to Martha. Wouldn’t you feel the same if the Son of God was coming for dinner? Don’t you want to make a good impression? The place needs to be swept; there is dog hair everywhere! The kids have left their things all around, and the whole house is a wreck. There isn’t enough food to feed all who are coming. How will it all get done in time?

Mary was Martha’s sister, and there is nothing to indicate that she did not partner with her sister in preparing for Jesus’ arrival that day. But after Jesus arrives, these two sisters have very different priorities. Martha keeps running around frantically trying to manage all the evening’s details in order to be sure everything is just perfect. Mary, on the other hand, just sits in Jesus’ presence and soaks it all in. Mary’s priority is not the stuff, but the relationship.

Predictably, Martha loses both her patience and cool. As I imagine this scene, I hear Martha clanging the pots and pans louder and louder as her blood pressure rises. She is doing her best to get her sister’s attention and help. When that is not successful, she huffs and puffs her way to where Jesus is and asks Him to intervene. “Jesus, tell Mary to get off her duff and help me!”

Jesus calmly sets Martha straight. “The priority tonight is not the external things in life but my relationship with you.”

What a good word for us today!

It is so easy to be consumed by Martha’s material world and its chores, schedule, obligations and responsibilities – like a hamster that peddles in its cage all day and only occasionally stops for a sip of water and a food pellet. And where does it get us or the hamster? In the grand scheme of God’s eternity, it gets us nowhere. The moment we die, none of it will matter. Better to be like Mary and be consumed with Jesus – preoccupied with the things that matter in the end.

So who are you more like these days: Martha or Mary?

Branson continues his series entitled Consumed this weekend. It might just be the ticket to get out of your cage.

Only through grace,

Charlie