As we move into the meat of the chapter we find Mary and Martha serving as hosts. Martha is scurrying around getting things done, Mary is chillin', spending time with the Messiah. Martha is getting a bit steamed.. working hard, seeing her sister chillin', and she wants some help and directly says so, asking the Lord to tell Mary to give her a hand.
Now I have to admit, I saw this and hadn't really thought of it before. I wonder why Martha didn't just say MARY, help me out here will you?!?! But she turned to the Lord for this aid, and the Lord say, Martha chill, Mary has chosen a good thing...to spend time with me.
Mary was sitting at Jesus' feet listening to him.
This was the good thing, the good part, that Jesus was referring to. Sitting, listening, soaking in his words.
It seems like every time we see Martha and Mary with the Lord, Martha is serving and Mary is focused on Jesus. Listening to him, washing his feet with perfume, being right there. They both made the Lord comfortable in their home.
We need to be seeking the Lord, opening our hearts to him, like these two ladies did.
You know what? I'm more of a Martha, I want to be working in the background, instead of sitting quietly listening. Two ways of spending time with the Lord. Martha needed to learn how not to fret, Mary needed to learn to be involved as well (see how she learned to wash his feet?). Mary already knew how to sit quiet and listen and soak in his words. A skill Martha perhaps needed to learn as well...but she learned, perhaps, not to fret.
Makes me wonder what skills I need to learn yet.
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We do certainly need to have a bit of both Mary and Martha in us. I struggle with the "Be still and know that I am Lord" part of it all. I want to but I tend toward action in the background. I really appreciate your closing question - what do I still have to learn?
ReplyDeleteYes, we need both, and we need to somehow learn to be content in the role we are in
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