Learning to Lovewell: W6 - WED
Martha, Martha, Martha
Luke 10:38-42, NLT 38 As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home.39 Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. 40 But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”
41 But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! 42 There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”
I will fully admit that as much as I want to be a Mary, I’m a full on Martha. I come by it naturally though, My mom is a Martha, as were both my grandmothers. We can run ourselves into the ground caring for others.
That sounds nice and all, but like Martha, if we’re not careful, our desire to serve other people can turn into bitterness and resentment towards others that don’t serve with the same intensity or passion that we do; even seeing other people as lazy.
Martha wasn’t a bad person, she just momentarily forgot what mattered most. She forgot to plug into her reason for serving, to drink from the well of the water of life, so she had more life to give away. She was tired, exhausted, and had spent so much time on everyone else, that she forgot she had to care for herself in order to care well for others.
Jesus recognized it. The new living translation begins his response to her outburst about Mary by saying, “My dear Martha.” The Greek text has him repeating Martha’s name twice, which was a nod both to the importance of the moment, but also to a sense of tenderness and compassion. Jesus wasn’t mad at Martha. He adored her and her service in this moment, but he recognized that in this moment, her priorities were out of place. He lifts up Mary’s act of discipleship, sitting at his feet listening to what he had to say, as the most important thing. Spend time at his feet, Jesus was saying, and THEN, the service you give will come out of a deep well of living water.
I’m guessing almost all of us reading this today know what it’s like to serve on fumes. We’ve given to friends, family, or our church until we had nothing left to give. If we pushed past that moment and kept serving, then likely, we got angry, bitter, and judgmental. “Why don’t others give as much as I do?” “Why am I the only one who cares?” “What would happen if I stopped? I bet it would all fall apart; that would teach them.”
If you’re in a moment like this now, it is my prayer that you would hear Jesus’ voice call out your name as he looks longingly and lovingly into your eyes. He’ll invite you to come away with him and rest awhile, for he knows that time at the feet of Jesus will renew and refresh your heart and soul.
In Mark 3:15, when Jesus called his disciples to him, he appointed them first and foremost “to be with him.” After that, he appointed them to do things. Let us not forget the importance of being with him, so we may serve for him, with a heart filled by him.
Luke 10:38-42, NLT 38 As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home.39 Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. 40 But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”
41 But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! 42 There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”
I will fully admit that as much as I want to be a Mary, I’m a full on Martha. I come by it naturally though, My mom is a Martha, as were both my grandmothers. We can run ourselves into the ground caring for others.
That sounds nice and all, but like Martha, if we’re not careful, our desire to serve other people can turn into bitterness and resentment towards others that don’t serve with the same intensity or passion that we do; even seeing other people as lazy.
Martha wasn’t a bad person, she just momentarily forgot what mattered most. She forgot to plug into her reason for serving, to drink from the well of the water of life, so she had more life to give away. She was tired, exhausted, and had spent so much time on everyone else, that she forgot she had to care for herself in order to care well for others.
Jesus recognized it. The new living translation begins his response to her outburst about Mary by saying, “My dear Martha.” The Greek text has him repeating Martha’s name twice, which was a nod both to the importance of the moment, but also to a sense of tenderness and compassion. Jesus wasn’t mad at Martha. He adored her and her service in this moment, but he recognized that in this moment, her priorities were out of place. He lifts up Mary’s act of discipleship, sitting at his feet listening to what he had to say, as the most important thing. Spend time at his feet, Jesus was saying, and THEN, the service you give will come out of a deep well of living water.
I’m guessing almost all of us reading this today know what it’s like to serve on fumes. We’ve given to friends, family, or our church until we had nothing left to give. If we pushed past that moment and kept serving, then likely, we got angry, bitter, and judgmental. “Why don’t others give as much as I do?” “Why am I the only one who cares?” “What would happen if I stopped? I bet it would all fall apart; that would teach them.”
If you’re in a moment like this now, it is my prayer that you would hear Jesus’ voice call out your name as he looks longingly and lovingly into your eyes. He’ll invite you to come away with him and rest awhile, for he knows that time at the feet of Jesus will renew and refresh your heart and soul.
In Mark 3:15, when Jesus called his disciples to him, he appointed them first and foremost “to be with him.” After that, he appointed them to do things. Let us not forget the importance of being with him, so we may serve for him, with a heart filled by him.
- How do you feel about your time with Jesus? Is it good, or has it been a while? How’s your heart?
- What is Jesus calling you to do for him today? Is it service, or is it sitting and listening? Maybe both?
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