Luke 10:38-42 (RSV) 38 Now
as they went on their way, he entered a village; and a woman named Martha
received him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's
feet and listened to his teaching. 40 But Martha was distracted with
much serving; and she went to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my
sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." 41
But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled
about many things; 42 one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good
portion, which shall not be taken away from her."
We are the kind of people
who believe in giving it our best with every responsibility we have. And we
believe in God. We want to do God’s will in our daily lives. But when we become
distracted by all of the activity of our lives we push God to the outer edge.
We are just too busy to see what God’s will may be for our daily round of
duties and responsibilities. Listen then as Jesus speaks His word to the
busied, hurried Martha who still lives in you and me: “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; one
thing is needful.”
Jesus does not deny the
importance or the value of our daily responsibilities that fill our life. The
family has to be fed. The children cared for. The work done. But Jesus says,
only one thing is needed, that we sit for a minute and listen to His word, that
we come and seek His guidance for our life. How may of us are able to recognize
that our most basic and most pressing need is to hear and to do God’s will for
our life as it is daily revealed to us through the present power of the Holy
Spirit?
Martha, Martha, you are troubled and anxious about things.
Does
that pretty well describe you and me? Inwardly uptight, easily upset when
things do not go our way? And yet, with all our hurrying about from one
responsibility to another there lurks that gnawing feeling that somehow, for
some reason, we are really wasting our time and our lives?
Mary chose to listen to
what Jesus had to say, and was prepared to fix the most elaborate of meals if
Jesus said the word, but first she waited for the word. “One thing is needful,” that we listen, that we tune in, that we
seek God’s will for our life. No one ever used time more wisely or accomplished
more than Jesus Himself. And one thing that stands out about His life is the
way it was carefully aimed by His desire and commitment to doing what God was
telling Him to do.
What He lived, He also
asks you and me to do, to seek first the kingdom of God, followed by the
promise that all things will be added to you.
“One thing is needful.” That is not only a command but a promise. When we
have listened, truly tuned our lives in to what He has to say and are willing
to obey whatever directions we receive, then we have done all we need to do. We
can work in peace, play in peace, rest in peace, and we do not have to be
anxious and troubled over many things.
From a sermon preached by
Henry Dobbs Pope October 20, 1974
© Rhonda Hinkle Mitchell
(Broyles)
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