In Luke 10:38-42 we read:
Luke 10:38-42
"Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village;
and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she
had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His
word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached
Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to
serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me." And Jesus answered and
said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about
many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good
part, which will not be taken away from her."
Martha was a very busy woman. She was cooking, sewing, cleaning. She was
busy with much service, says the Word. She was so busy
though that she essentially didn’t recognise the Lord had
entered her house. She was so busy that she couldn’t any
longer notice His presence. She was so busy that she had no longer time
to sit at His feet and hear His Word - the service had more priority for
her. She was so busy, beyond her abilities, that she was complaining to
the Lord: "why nobody helps me in the service?….. please tell
Mary to leave the talks and come and join me". And there are
brothers and sisters like her. Super workers. Super active. So active
however that they have no longer time to sit at the Lord’s feet.
Really, what a picture: you and He alone. No mobile phones, no noise, no
service even if it is service for Him. You and He alone. Shut down your
computer, switch off your mobile, close your door, close even this
magazine and spend time with Him. Open your heart to Him like to your
best friend. When the Lord was on earth He did the same: He spent time
alone with the Father. Our highest priority is not the work, even if
this is ministry related. "ONE thing is needed"
said the Lord. It was Mary that sat at His feet that choose the good
part and not Martha that was busy "with much service". Your
top priority is to sit at the Lord’s feet. Your top priority
is to be together with the Father. Sometimes very early in the morning
(Mark 1:35-37), other times in the night (Matthew 14:22-23) the Lord
spent time alone with the Father. As we read in Matthew 14:22-23
Matthew
14:22-23
"Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go
before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And
when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by
Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there."
And also Mark
1:35-37
"Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He
went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. And
Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him. When they
found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You."
In the first occasion He put the disciples into the boat, He dismissed
the multitudes and went alone up on the mountain to pray. In the case of
Mark 1, He went again alone to a solitary place to pray, while
"everyone was looking for Him." It was not that He wanted to
hide Himself. He just wanted to have time alone with the Father. It was
top priority for Him and it should be top priority for us as well.
If you are always very busy, even with the ministry, if you always do
something and you have no time, if you are like Martha, super energetic,
even with the work of the God, see what the Lord said: "ONE
thing is needed", meaning what Mary did: "who also sat at
Jesus' feet and heard His Word". Many say "the work (ministry)
first and all else second". I would say, "the Lord first and
all else second". For Mary it was not time for work but for the
Lord only.
"but Mary
has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.
Tassos
Kioulachoglou
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