45 lines
2.4 KiB
Markdown
45 lines
2.4 KiB
Markdown
|
+++
|
|||
|
|
title = "Luke 10:38–42"
|
|||
|
|
date = "2022-12-08"
|
|||
|
|
+++
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
### [Read the passage.](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Lk10.38-42)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Luke doesn't tell us this, but Mary and Martha were the sisters of Lazarus of
|
|||
|
|
Bethany, who was raised from the dead by Jesus. Bethany was about two miles
|
|||
|
|
outside of Jerusalem, and it seems likely that Jesus stayed with this family
|
|||
|
|
often while He was in the area. Because the text says "Martha welcomed Him into
|
|||
|
|
her house", this is probably the first time Jesus has visited.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
We see two different responses from the sisters. Mary sits under Jesus's
|
|||
|
|
teaching and Martha is busy trying to be a good hostess. We can't know exactly
|
|||
|
|
how many of Jesus's disciples were there at the house at the time, but likely
|
|||
|
|
more than a few, so it is reasonable&emdash;even commendable&emdash;for Martha
|
|||
|
|
to want them to be comfortable and cared for at her house. Let's not take this
|
|||
|
|
story to mean we shouldn't be hospitable.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
But Luke tells us that Martha is "distracted" with her efforts and tries to get
|
|||
|
|
Jesus to tell her sister to help with her work. Jesus gives her a gentle rebuke
|
|||
|
|
by telling her that she is trying to do too much, and what Mary has chosen to
|
|||
|
|
do is a better use of her time. Food is good and necessary, but you only eat it
|
|||
|
|
the once, and it's gone. Truths we learn from studying God's Word last forever.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
This sounds a lot like the lesson my wife and I learned over Thanksgiving this
|
|||
|
|
year. In the weeks leading up to it, our family was hit with a stomach virus.
|
|||
|
|
Each of us got it, one after another, and while the first day was the worst,
|
|||
|
|
recovery was slow and it took several days before we felt normal and able to do
|
|||
|
|
as much as we'd like. It was also the plan that we host Thanksgiving at our
|
|||
|
|
house, as in every year. There were turkeys to smoke, clutter to put away,
|
|||
|
|
floors to clean, tables and chairs to set up, and not enough time and energy to
|
|||
|
|
get it all done. So we didn't. Not all of it, anyway. We were very close to
|
|||
|
|
cancelling as I still didn't feel 100% better on Wednesday, but we realized
|
|||
|
|
that being with family was more important than not letting them see an
|
|||
|
|
imperfectly kept house. And God was gracious to us because the turkey and
|
|||
|
|
everything was delicious, we enjoyed each other's company, and we all were
|
|||
|
|
thankful for what the Lord has done for us.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
* * *
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Let us keep the main thing the main thing, with our eyes focused on You and on
|
|||
|
|
eternal things that cannot be taken away from us.
|