Check out Luke 10:38-42
I don’t think it’s any accident that this story of Martha and Mary is what follows the story of the Good Samaritan. These two stories complement one another. Just in case we get the idea that the parable is all about doing good stuff for God, the example of Martha shows us there’s a place of working ourselves into a frustrated, irritable mess that misses the point.
As disciples of Jesus we tune our lives to the rhythm of God in receiving God’s love and then giving God’s love to others–receive, give, receive, give.
Pastor and theologian Eugene Peterson has written, “The adjective busy set as a modifier to pastor [and I would argue Christian, too] should sound to our ears like adulterous to characterize a wife or embezzling to describe a banker. It is an outrageous scandal, a blasphemous affront.” He goes on to quote Hilary of Tours who called Christian busyness “a blasphemous anxiety to do God’s work for him.”
When Jesus invites us to follow him, it’s not an invitation to busyness. Jesus is quoted in Matthew’s gospel as saying, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” We are invited to the hard work of bringing healing to the broken, suffering world, but it’s not our work or effort that heals the world. It’s God’s.
As disciples of Jesus we tune our lives to the rhythm of God in receiving God’s love and then giving God’s love to others–receive, give, receive, give.
I wonder what Mary and Martha would look like in my world today. Maybe Martha looks somebody who volunteers all the time at church, goes to every Bible study, every mission trip, serves the poor. But maybe she never takes a Sabbath, never takes care of herself, eating right or sleeping 8 hours a night. Maybe she tries doing all those good and right things but without reading Scripture, praying, or engaging any other spiritual disciplines.
So what about you? Are you receiving from Jesus, and are you giving what you receive to the broken world?
Question: As you listen to Jesus this week, what are you hearing? And then what are you doing about it?
Fiftyeight 