Luke 10:38-42 Mary and Martha were among Jesus' closest friends and followers. No one loved Jesus more than these two women and Jesus loved them both.
These sisters were as different from each other as night from day. Mary was the quiet, contemplative sister. Martha was the busy, bustling and active sister. Martha was the one in the kitchen seeing to supper when Jesus came to visit. Her way of showing her love for Jesus was to cook and serve a fine meal.
Today's Marthas still serve Jesus in that way. These are the fine Christian women AND men we find at all the church functions pitching in and working their fingers to the bone. Their way of showing their love for Christ is to bake, cook, dust, sweep, polish, repair, and do anything else that needs doing.
While the Marthas of the church are bustling about, the Marys have their noses in a book of meditations, prayers or Bible study. They are prayer warriors who daily intercede for their friends, families, and church storming God's heavenly throne with their petitions. But they have that nagging fault which the Marthas find so unbearable. They tend to be sitting listening when the dishes need doing in the kitchen.
But Martha, too, had one glaring fault. She was too busy to sit down to study at the feet of Christ. There's nothing wrong with service-the Word tells us repeatedly that we are to serve one another in love. But, often, we allow our busy-ness to keep us from spending time with Him. Work for the Lord can distract from spending time with the Lord of the Work!
I think that most of us here are probably a little bit of Mary and a little bit of Martha, but maybe not. Maybe you find yourself squarely one versus the other. What we must remember is that there is a time to work, and a time to wait on the Lord. There is a time to serve, and a time to be silent before God. There is a time to prepare a meal, and a time to have our souls prepared for heaven by feasting on the bread of life. If all we do is sit at Jesus' feet, nothing will be done. If all we do is work and never sit at His feet, the things that are accomplished will not be long-lasting.
Heavenly Father, help us all remember as we go about our daily lives that, while we each have important work to do for you, we must take time to sit at your feet and have our souls rejuvenated by your love and your teaching. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
