As I sat one morning digging into John 12 and cross-referencing related passages of Scripture I found myself in Luke 10. In Luke 10 we enter the house of Martha. In this chapter we meet both Martha and her sister Mary.
Now whenever there are women mentioned in Scripture I always first see where I am at in relation to them, since I too am a woman, and then I see if or how they might be a representative of the church, for we believers are the bride of Christ, and God often uses the woman to illustrate truth to us concerning our relationship with Him.
Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.” But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:38-42
The literal translation of Luke 10:40 is actually Martha was distracted with much service. In my Bible study class this past Wednesday night one of the topics of discussion was the many distraction that the enemy of our soul puts in front of us to keep us from experiencing the fullness of God in our lives. As we discussed this we shared saw how it is very easy even for children to sit down and come up with distraction after distraction in our American culture.
I mean, really, think about it.
We even use distraction as a form of “discipline” with our children. You know instead of dealing with their temper tantrum or whining we “distract” them with something that we hope they will find more appealing than what ever they are throwing a fit over. How many of us have actually trained our children into having ADD?
Satan doesn’t have to use sinful things to distract us from focusing on God.
It seems we have created a culture of distraction even within the walls of our church… and we call it service, and we call it appealing to the lost to get them in the doors. We load our kids plates full of soccer, softball, volleyball, football, theatre, music, etc (guilty mom right here, learned to allow one sport at a time, and must be a break in between) outside the church and then inside the church we have movies, camps, bowling, bouncy nights, pizza parties, etc because we are told that if we keep them busy-busy-busy they will stay out of trouble. After all having the family run around like chickens with their heads cut off with a list of deadlines and schedules is a much better way to keep our kids in line and trouble free than actually having time to be still as a family and teach, and train, and love them, according to God’s way in Deuteronomy 6:4-9.
We have even convinced ourselves that they will only invite their lost friends to church if they have something non-threatening and fun to offer… because the free and beautiful grace of God and His free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ His Son just simply isn’t appealing enough. We train our children to use manipulation and entrapment to present the most profound simple honest truth that ever existed.
Martha was distracted with much service… but Mary had sat down. I believe Martha and Mary had both been serving… but when Jesus started talking Mary started sitting… but Martha kept going.
Here’s what I have learned.
There is a difference between serving the body of Christ and enabling laziness.
For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example, because we did not act in an undisciplined manner among you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you; not because we do not have the right to this, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you, so that you would follow our example. For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either. For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies.
2 Thessalonians 3:7-11
I would be so bold to say that we would have less murmurings, grumblings, and gripings within our churches if we required everyone to work. More often then not, the ones doing the most gossiping are doing nothing but sitting on a pew and making a tithe and because they tithe, they feel they are entitled to gripe and do nothing. There are tithers and their are servers… right?
Mary sat down, but Martha kept going. Martha kept serving. We do not know how many came with Christ that day… but this was early in His ministry, so He was bringing a crowd of curious listeners wherever He went. I am sure Martha could not get her eyes off all the people long enough to put her eyes on Christ. Finally overwhelmed and realizing that she could not do this ALL alone she finally finds Jesus to tell Him to tell Mary to get up and help her… because obviously no one was going to volunteer.
I am sure everyone was being polite and was telling Martha thank you and how nice it was that she was serving everyone like that… but not one offered to help. Yes, people will pat you on the back for your service and say how much they admire the work that you do. They might smile and say, you poor thing you just never get to sit down or come to service do you, but they usually do not care enough to actually do something to help… even if that help is simply spending one hour a year with 5 0r 6 preschoolers. Hmmmm, and we wonder why the world sees the American church as full of cold hypocrisy?
Let the little children come to Jesus… just don’t ask me to be there when they do… I might have to change a diaper or wipe a nose or deal with crying and my nerves just can’t handle that today.
If you are the one that every Sunday and every Wednesday you are frustrated and flustered because more and more is being piled on you and you wipe your sweating brow as people walk by and smile and wave and yet never say, what can I do to help so that you can go and sit at the Lord’s feet for a change. If every Sunday and Wednesday night you are looking up to God and crying out, God do they not see that I need help here, how could they just not show up, how can they expect me to do all this by myself, how can they ask me to do this on top of everything else… then take the advice of Christ:
“Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her”
Just drop it all. Hands in the air. Kill the program before it kills you. Christ didn’t call you to a program He called you to Himself.
Jesus didn’t say what Martha had expected to hear. I believe Martha felt she was doing the right thing. I believe that she thought she was serving Christ as she worked her butt off that day… but just as Jesus said concerning the poor…
For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you do not always have Me.
Mark 14:7
If your family is running around so crazy that you don’t have time to sit at the feet of Jesus yourself, and you don’t have time to teach your own kids to love the Lord their God by diligently teaching them His commandments within the walls that they sleep and rise in every day… then you, precious one, need to make some changes.
Stop and be still and breathe and ask the Lord to show you what to do… and obey when He does.