October 4
Sitting Before Serving
Martha was distracted with much serving, and she…said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” —Luke 10:40 (NKJV)
“Chaotic” would be the word to describe the scene. Jesus, along with His twelve disciples, were invited to enjoy a meal at the home of two sisters named Mary and Martha. That’s a lot of extra mouths to feed and a serious challenge for any hostess to meet—especially in a society where preparing a meal was an extremely timely process.
So we can just imagine Martha doing her best to bring everything together for her guests. Making sure the fires were burning properly, testing the flavor of this and that, seeing that there was going to be enough on the table for everyone, etc.
Something happened, though. Or rather, something didn’t happen. Martha’s sister, Mary, didn’t help her prepare the meal. Instead, Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to what He was saying. This frustrated Martha. She actually told Jesus to tell Mary to get up and get serving! Christ’s response is very insightful:
“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.” Luke 10:41-42 (NKJV)
Jesus was warning Martha that although serving seemed so important to her, something mattered more…resting in Christ’s presence and receiving from Him. She had made the classic mistake of prioritizing service for Jesus above spending time with Jesus.
Let’s be clear. There is a time and place for us to be actively engaged in service. But it should never be esteemed or placed ahead of spending time in the Lord’s presence, because what we receive when we’re before Him enables us to effectively serve in His name.
Sitting must always come before serving, and the examples of Mary and Martha warn us of what happens when these two things get mixed up.
small group time:::
THINK ABOUT IT...
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
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