God will take care of you;
Beneath his wings of love abide,
God will take care of you.
God will take care of you,
Through every day, o’er all the way;
He will take care of you,
God will take care of you. -from “God Will Take Care of You” by Civilla D. Martin
If you were given the option during a particular period of time (say, one hour) to either breathe, drink water, eat, or sleep, which activity would you choose? Keep in mind that in this hypothetical situation you would not only be permitted to do that one thing for the hour in question, but would also be required to refrain from doing the other three.
It doesn't take much thought to see that this would be an easy choice. Only breathing is a true necessity for that one-hour time span. Eating, sleeping, and drinking water are all “necessities” at another level, but none are absolute necessities every moment of every day.
In Luke 10:38-42, two sisters are faced with a choice between two “necessary” activities. Jesus has come for a visit, bringing the message of the kingdom of God—the word of the fulfillment of all the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah. Mary and Martha likely knew He was coming, since He had sent pairs of messengers to every town and village in advance of His visit (cf. 10:1).
These men had announced the nearness of the kingdom of God (cf. 10:9), so when Jesus himself came, Mary and Martha must have been anticipating His visit the way one would anticipate a visit from a king. But what did they each anticipate doing when He arrived? The text clearly reveals their differing anticipations and actions.
Martha thought it most important to busy herself with preparing and serving a meal for their important guest and His entourage. Mary, on the other hand, neglected (in Martha’s view) this most important of tasks, choosing instead to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to His message concerning the kingdom of God.
Martha showed her true colors (and most likely her then-unregenerate heart) by not only becoming irritated with her sister, but also by scolding Jesus for not recognizing and addressing Mary’s “error.” Amazingly, she even went so far as to command Him—the King himself—what to do: “Tell her to help me.”
Instead of correcting Mary, Jesus commended her choice while gently rebuking Martha for her lack of understanding and misplaced priorities. “Only one thing is necessary,” He said to Martha, “for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her” (v. 42). Mary chose to breathe during Jesus’ visit, rather than busying herself with life’s less important matters.
It is easy for us to think that Jesus showed favor to Mary and disfavor to Martha. But this verse tells us that he loved both Martha and Mary. He wanted what was the very best for both of them. There may be times when we get frustrated and troubled like Martha. We may be so upset as to say or do foolish things. Then we may feel that God doesn't love us anymore.
But notice that Jesus loved Martha and Mary. He loves you! No matter how often we fail him, no matter what messes we may get ourselves into, he still loves us. He is willing to help us. There may be times when he gently rebukes us, as he did to Martha, but he always does it out of love.
So how about you? Where are your priorities in terms of the true necessities of life? Most importantly, where does “Listening to the word of the kingdom” fall on your scale of most important activities?
No matter how much you may think that you have failed God, remember that Jesus loves you just as much as he loved these two sisters. He cares for you, and he will take care of you.
Scripture: 1 John 4:10; John 3:16; Isaiah 41:13; Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:19; Ephesians 3:19; Romans 8:35-39
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to remain faithful to You and your calling upon my life. Strengthen and grow my faith as I daily search Your Scriptures and apply their truths to my spiritual walk. As I go through the trials and experiences of my earthly journey; would You fix my eyes and my ever-wandering heart upon Jesus. Amen
God bless you,
Joelle
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