"What's the Scoop on.....Martha?"

Without a doubt, the name ‘Martha’ conjures up a specific image in your mind.  Today in bible study Jan explored Martha ‘s encounter with Jesus as detailed in Luke 10:38-42. To some degree, this hits us all where we live.  As women in the 21^st century, how many of us are like Martha, distracted by our many tasks?

Jan began her teaching by pointing out that we are called by God to glorify and please Him. Like Martha, we all have tasks that must be done. As a mother or a wife we are called to take care of our husbands and children. God may have called us to care for aging parents. We have jobs. We serve at church. We serve each other. In fact, even as I write this, there is a small pop-up screen on the side of my computer, ‘Tasks – Linda’s List’.  There is no getting away from it.  God says, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). There is a classic book written by Brother Lawrence, The Practice Of The Presence Of God. In his book Brother Lawrence encourages us how to better keep company with the Lord as we go about our day, doing what needs to be done. So yes, we have things that must be done. And, yes, we are able to glorify God as we do these things.

So where does this leave us as we explore Jesus’ visit to Martha’s and Mary’s home in Luke 10?  As we read this passage, we can picture Mary and Jesus at center stage, Mary intently listening to Jesus’ teachings, while in the background Martha is in a flurry of activity.  Based on traditional roles in society at that time, Martha wasn’t wrong in expecting Mary to help her serve.  In fact, for Mary to be sitting at Jesus’ feet listening to His teachings would have been unconventional.   Only men were afforded the privilege of sitting and learning under a rabbi. Yet Jesus says to Martha, “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 “(Luke 10:41b-42).

What was the ‘better’ thing that Mary had chosen?  Jesus says this one thing is essential:  it is sitting at Jesus’ feet, listening to Him and learning from Him. Mary was not doing anything for Jesus, she was not serving Him.  He was serving her!! It is written in Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve”.  

We know that prayer is central to our relationship with God but ‘sitting at Jesus’ feet’ goes beyond a time of prayer. It means sitting with God’s Word to us…the bible.  As we read and study, not only do we learn more about Him, but we will hear His voice more clearly. We will be able to distinguish God’s voice  from  all the other ‘voices’ we hear in our lives.  

In all the things we have to do in our lives, I know we want God to be glorified. Before we can minister to and serve others in a way that will glorify Him we first have to allow Jesus the time to minister to us. He fills us first.  "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (Romans 15:5).  Jesus isn’t telling Martha (or us) this for His own sake.  He knows what is best for us.  According to the Westminster Shorter Catechism ‘man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever’.  In order to fully enjoy God, He knows we need to allow Him to minister to us. Everything else we do flows from this. 

“God never ceases to speak to us, but the noise of the world without and the tumult of our passions within bewilder us and prevent us from listening to him.”  François Fenelon