Today I am reminded of the day Jesus went to visit Martha and Mary. He went to their home, sat with them, teaching and sharing.
Two sisters, as different as day and night. Martha busied herself in the kitchen, cooking up a storm of food to serve Jesus and the disciples. Mary, on the other hand, sat at the feet of Jesus and listened, hanging on His every word.
Martha clearly gets annoyed by the lack of help she is getting from her sister. I would imagine she huffed and puffed. Maybe even banged a few things around in an effort to get Mary to come and assist her. All to no avail. Martha finally takes matters into her own hands and speaks up ….
“Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work?”
There was no way Jesus could miss the lone woman in a room full of men sitting at His feet. But Martha is not going to let it go …
“Tell her to come and help me.”
Martha is telling Jesus what to do now. But He remains unruffled, responding gently and lovingly, yet with correction …
“My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Jesus doesn’t criticize or command Mary to go help. He commends her for sitting and listening.
I can’t be too hard on Martha though, as so often distractions get in my way as well. They can even be good things.
Perhaps serving Jesus has even distracted me from being with Jesus.
And yet, He calls to me. To you as well.
The psalmist reminds me of the best manner to respond ….
My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.” (Psalm 27:8, NLT)
Today I am praying for my response to be less like Martha and more like Mary.
Less distraction.
More attention.
“Lord, I am coming!”
Today I am joining … Thought Provoking Thursday and Woman 2 Woman and Everyday Jesus and Beloved Brews .
I love this. It’s a great reminder on keeping our focus on God. Thanks.
It always amazes me how often I need the reminder. Glad that you stopped here. Blessings!
Wow, really needed to hear this today. Thanks, “Mary.”
Michele, you always make me smile. Trust me, I was reminding myself first š
AMEN! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for stopping here. Praying for you & your family. Blessings!
Joanne, this is fantastical (and yes, that really is a word.) I feel like I am making the transition from mostly Martha to more Mary… But it is a slow process. I love this story but even love the Psalm you paired with it. It blessed me today. THANKS.
Sharita, it is a slow process. Some days I feel like I have a split personality š I cannot tell you how placing these Scriptures side by side impacted me. Glad it spoke to you as well. Blessings, friend
Good reminder. Difficult to deeply believe at times. i have been rereading the Prodigal Son and the image of God, the father, running to meet me, to receive me, to accept me and like you said, just to be with me is overwhelming at times.
Jean, it truly is overwhelming to think how He wants our company, desires for us to talk with Him. May we come to Him each day anticipating that He will not only listen but speak to us as well.
Joanne, thanks for stopping by and letting me know you too wrote about Mary and Martha. I love this post. I am super guilty of being distracted while serving Jesus. Gotta work on that. Beautiful graphic too by the way! Kim Stewart
http://www.kimstewartinspired.com
Thank you for stopping here, Kim. It is amazing how something as good as serving can become a distraction & get in the way of simply being with Him. I loved the graphic when I saw it – I want to sit in that chair for a spell š