As Jesus and his disciples were on their way,
he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the
Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 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!”
In Luke Chapter 10, we read about these
sisters, Martha and Mary, who Jesus came to visit while traveling with his
disciples. Now take a minute and think about what you would do if Jesus came to
your home? What would you do to prepare? If you’re like me, you’re probably
thinking of all the things you would need to clean, including the mountain of
clothes strewn all over your room. That makes perfect sense that we want to
bring our best to Christ. But what does bringing your best look like? Martha is
rushing about trying to make everything perfect for Jesus while Mary simply
sits at His feet. Now Martha is obviously irritated at this point. I mean come
on; she’s preparing everything. She’s trying her best to present her best. What
is Mary doing? Sitting there. I’ve read this story multiple times and almost
every time I have, I right off the bat side with Martha. I relate to her
emotions. I relate to her striving. Why would it be okay for Mary to sit with
Jesus when Martha is working to please Jesus?
I don’t think I fully understood Martha as a
woman until I experienced those emotions we see in this story. I don’t think
Martha was just trying to please Jesus, I think she was trying to please Martha
by relying on who Martha is rather than who Jesus is. I really struggle when I
have nothing to do. Today is the first day I’ve stopped to consider why that’s
so. Behind every action we take there is a motive. Have you ever stopped to
think what the thoughts behind your actions are? As I sat lost in thought today
feeling out of place with nothing to do, it dawned on me why uncertainty always
seems to find me in these moments—I find not only my passion, but my purpose
and worth in what I do. I seek contentment and completeness in activities,
other’s opinions of me, my abilities, what I bring to the table. This is what
Martha does. She literally invites Jesus to her table instead of doing as Mary
did and going to sit at Jesus’ feet. Y’all, that is for real not the way to be
thinking!! I need to be looking at what God brings to the table! I need to be
sitting at the feet of Christ, seeking his wisdom. Because on my own, I will
always fall short of expectations. I will always be discontent with simply me.
Those bad fruits like envy, self-pity, and worry will rule in my heart and mind
when I find my significance in who I am. But when I allow God to do what He
does best—reign as eternal King of my thoughts and life—my emotions will not
have that control over me. I won’t compare myself to others so much and I won’t
go through the week with such highs and lows but will rather stay firmly
grounded on the most stable and faithful rock, my Lord Jesus.
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are
worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only
one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
I am a firm believer that names have deep
meaning in our lives, so I was curious what the name Martha meant. The name
Martha is an Aramaic baby name that means “lady.” The word lady comes from the
Old English word hlǣfdige which, according to trusty google, is a lady who has
authority or who wins the devotion of a lover. Y’all, the name “lady” is much
more than simply a hostess. It’s a name commanding confidence and respect. It’s
a name that implies uniqueness in the ordinary. This may be stretching things a
bit, but when Jesus says, “Martha, Martha,” it’s kind of like he’s reminding
her who she is, truly is anyways. That Martha is an exceptional and assured
individual because, the Martha he created is worth more than what she can do or
what she brings to the table. She is confident in who her creator is, she finds
her value in who He is, and she puts him as her top priority. Jesus is
reminding Martha of what is eternal and who she was created to be. He is
reminding her that it must be Jesus over everything for Martha to ever feel
whole—not only does he demand it, but he deserves it.
Infinite and perfect in all His ways. he will
overshadow our small offerings with himself if we only allow him to. Don’t let
self-seeking keep you from pursuing Christ whole-heartedly and loving others
and him as you are called. It’s a day by day thing. It’s waking up and deciding
to pursue the one who has already declared his devotion and love for you in his
word. Chase Jesus, find who you are in who he has affirmed you to be—his child
forever and ever.
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