Martha vs. Mary

First family,

Recall with me the story of Jesus while at the home of Martha and Mary.

It is recorded in Luke 10:38-42:

38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”  41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

If I am honest, most days I feel like Martha. I have a longer to-do list than is reasonable and because of this, I am prone to lose the joy that can be found in each day.  We live in a time of never-ending worries and distractions, don’t we? And trying to distract ourselves from our worries just seems to wear us out even more. We can all relate to Martha, who was worried and distracted by many things.

Luke uses a Greek word to describe the distractions that Martha is experiencing. The word means "to be pulled away or to be pulled apart" and accurately depicts what distractions do to us. They separate us and take our attention away from what is truly important.

Martha welcomed the presence of Jesus in her home, a privilege that not many people had. However, her worries and distractions caused her to lose focus on this amazing experience. Distractions have the power to pull us away from what truly matters and what is important in our lives. This is something that happens to all of us.

There is another word, on the other hand, that means almost the exact opposite. It means to be re-attached. And that word is: Religion. From the Latin, re-ligare, which literally means to be re-attached.

Re-ligare. Re-attached.

Religion has the ability to re-establish our connection with what truly matters. In a world where distractions can lead us astray from what's important, religion can help us refocus on what truly matters. Specifically, it can lead us back to Jesus.

Let me encourage you to make time to "re-attach" to Jesus amidst your busy schedule today. You could do this by reading your Bible, listening, and singing along to your favorite worship song, or taking a prayer walk outside on this sunny day. It's important to prioritize your relationship with Jesus amidst the hustle and bustle of daily life. To quote Jesus, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one.”

Servant for HIS Glory,
Pastor Robert