Just Sit

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.”

Luke 10:38-42 (NIV)

Hosting guests or family gatherings can be a stressful experience. As host, making sure all the details for making your guests comfortable and cared for can be overwhelming. Preparing as much in advance as possible helps to reduce your to-do list when your guests arrive. Even if you prepare though, once the guests do arrive, there is still plenty to be accomplished. A person can be so tied up in tasks and on edge with worry about something forgotten or checking on the needs of the guests that you get little or no time to spend with your guests.

As we read from Luke’s telling of the Gospel, we hear about Jesus, Martha, Mary and the close disciples. Jesus and the disciples are in the home of Mary and Martha. Mary sits at Jesus’s feet and listens to Jesus as he teaches. Martha is busy trying to be a good host by preparing food and other accommodations for the guests. Martha comes to Jesus frustrated because Mary is sitting instead of assisting her. She tries to get Jesus to instruct Mary to help her sister. Jesus responds that Marth is worried about too many details but Mary has chosen the only one which matters.

So often we are like Martha. If we had a guest of honor such as Jesus in our home, we would make every effort to be extremely accommodating. Instead of sitting so we could absorb all our guests have to offer, we would be wrapped up in detail so we could present a positive image. How many times do we let the opportunity to sit with the Lord pass us by because we are busy with life’s tasks? Jesus’s response to Martha reminds us to keep track of what is important. We must make time to be still with the Lord. We also must make time to be with the people in our lives. Those times are precious and will not always be available. Be wise like Mary.