Weekly Devotion no 42
26 February 2021
Bible reading – Luke 10:38-42[1]
38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came
to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She
had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But
Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to
him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work
by myself? Tell her to help me!’
41 ‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about
many things, 42 but few things are needed –
or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be
taken away from her.’
Reflection
You might be familiar with this story, even though it only appears in Luke’s gospel. Here we have two sisters who spend some time with Jesus. As we see from elsewhere in the gospels, Jesus becomes very close to this family.
But in this first encounter, it is Martha who invites Jesus in. She is the eldest in the family and gives Jesus a warm welcome. She therefore feels responsible for ensuring that their guest is well cared for. Martha is the practical one – she’s someone who shows their love for people by doing things for them. You might have had friends or family like Martha – when you have been in need, they have done what needs to be done, be it the gardening, fixing things around the house, making meals for you, looking after your children or grandchildren.
And then there is Mary. The way she loves people is to sit with them, to listen, to be present in the moment. You may have had friends like Mary, who have journeyed alongside you through life’s ups and downs, not necessarily saying much, but being a comforting presence and a good listener.
Martha is frustrated that Mary isn’t helping her look after their guest. And like a normal sisterly spat, she looks to someone else to adjudicate! But Jesus doesn’t play along. Instead, he gently rebukes Martha. Not for the way that she shows love in a practical sense, but for her attitude in this specific situation. Mary had on some level recognised that the Son of God was present with them and wanted to soak up every part of this experience. In this situation, she was depending on Jesus, not on all the things that she could have been doing.
In this season of
Lent, it is a good time to reflect on how we spend our time and in whom we
place our dependence. It’s ok to do things, but we need to think about why we’re
doing them. Are we depending on God or in our own strength? Is the clutter of
our lives getting in the way of us hearing Jesus? Jesus is present with us –
let us not lose the opportunity to spend time listening to him.
Hymn
Verse 1
I heard the
voice of Jesus say,
"Come unto
me and rest;
lay down, thou
weary one, lay down
thy head upon my
breast."
I came to Jesus
as I was,
weary, and
worn, and sad;
I found in him
a resting place,
and he has made
me glad.
Verse 2
I heard the
voice of Jesus say,
"Behold, I
freely give
the living
water; thirsty one,
stoop down and
drink, and live."
I came to
Jesus, and I drank
of that
life-giving stream;
my thirst was
quenched, my soul revived,
and now I live
in him.
Verse 3
I heard the
voice of Jesus say,
"I am this
dark world's Light;
look unto me,
thy morn shall rise,
and all thy day
be bright."
I looked to
Jesus and I found
in him my Star,
my Sun;
and in that
light of life I'll walk,
'til travelling
days are done.
Prayer
God of mercy,
you are full of
tenderness and compassion,
slow to anger, rich
in mercy,
and always ready to
forgive:
grant us grace to
renounce all evil and to cling to Christ,
that in every way we
may prove to be your loving children;
through Jesus Christ
our Lord,
who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and
ever. Amen.
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