What would you do if the President of the U.S. were coming to your house today? Or your favorite movie star or musician? What if Jesus Christ, in the flesh, came to your house today? What would you do? How would you act?
That’s exactly what happened to sisters and brother, Mary, Martha and Lazarus. Yes, this is the same Lazarus who was raised back from the dead fame. They were friends of Jesus and welcomed Him into their home whenever He was in the vicinity.
They heard that Jesus was coming, so they cleaned house. That’s exactly what most of you do when company is coming. I imagine they cleaned and cleaned, even in places Jesus wouldn’t see. They cleaned the garage, the hall closet, the back porch.
Martha wanted everything to be perfect—Jesus was coming. She prepared the best of meals from her best recipes. She wanted her food to be as perfect as the rest of the house.
Now there’s nothing wrong with all this. We like to put our best face forward, don’t we? We want guests to think our houses always look like Better Homes and Gardens.
I think we can also assume that Mary did her share of getting the house ready, and that Martha did spend some time with Jesus. But Martha and Mary quickly went in different directions. But Martha’s real problem was loss of focus.
What a paradox. Everything Martha was doing was for Jesus, but then she didn’t have time for Him. Probably at first neither Mary nor Martha realized what was going on. But Martha quickly became aware that Mary disappeared. She was doing all the work. That’s terribly unfair! We’ve all experienced it. You thought you were part of a team until one day you realized you were doing most of the work—giving most of the money—taking most of the responsibility.
You feel angry, ripped off, upset. It’s easy to blame someone else for what we think is unfair. Martha was no different. She wanted everything perfect for her guest. Notice how she dragged Jesus into the middle.
Lk. 10:40b. “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me.” She was blaming Jesus.
Jesus went right to the core of the problem: Luke 10:41. “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.”
Martha was preparing a buffet when Jesus only needed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Maybe He was telling her that she was worrying about many kinds of food when He only needed one.
She was doing what she wanted, not what He wanted or expected. She was making unnecessary work.
The food wasn’t the problem. Martha was worried and upset about things that don’t mean anything in eternity. This is a common problem. There are millions of Martha’s in our world—many are here today.
We are inclined to worry and get upset about things that don’t have eternal value, and then try to justify the way we feel. To us the problem is real—but the truth is the problem is inside us more than in our circumstances or in others.
Listen, Martha is not the bad guy in this story. Mary isn’t the good guy. Too often we read this and think, “Martha loved her kitchen and Mary loved Jesus.” That’s not true! Martha loved Jesus as much as Mary.
She believed she was showing her love by a clean house and a wonderful meal. Besides, didn’t Jesus Himself talk about greatness being found in servanthood?
If I were in this story, I would be in the kitchen helping Martha. Martha was a good person trying to do the right thing. She meant well, but she simply lost her focus. This is what this story is about—keeping your focus.
Jesus always desires your best: When Jesus spoke to Martha, His words were not harsh or condemning. They were not confrontational. He looked her in the eye and simply said, “Martha, Martha.”
These are the words of a friend, not a critic. They are words of love, not anger. They are words of caring and compassion. We can learn from Jesus. There are two kinds of criticism: Constructive or destructive. Jesus wanted to help Martha.
Whatever your failures are; worry, anger, distraction, busyness, or something else, the first place to look for help is in the compassionate love of Jesus.
Jesus, comes to you with love, warmth, and wonderful grace. He knows who you are, and why you are like you are. He speaks your name. He will not overlook or ignore your problem. But He will always treat you with compassion.
Jesus or Mary wasn’t the problem. Martha brought on her problem herself. It was her distractions and her expectations that kept her from Jesus.
Jesus was simple and direct. Martha was fragmented. She was divided. She had lost focus. She was overwhelmed with everything there was to do.
Martha’s problem is a common modern American problem. We stress ourselves out with everything we think needs to be done. Instead of getting smaller, our lists just keep growing. Our lists are longer than there are hours to do them.
Stress keeps building as we get busier and busier until we explode. We’re like volcanoes as we burst out in anger and frustration against the closest person. In Martha’s case it was Jesus.
Martha really thought she had a justifiable complaint. She didn’t think she had a problem. She thought Mary was a problem. She thought Jesus had a problem. If He would just take her side and tell Mary what a selfish little twit she was and to get into the kitchen, everything would be okay.
She thought her problem was because of the behavior of others. Not only that, they were not appreciating all the work she was doing.
Martha needed to refocus. She was too, too, too: too busy, too distracted, and too worried. The problem was in her, not in others.
Now this isn’t to say that others don’t have to carry their share of the load. It doesn’t even mean that others aren’t wrong. It does mean that we Martha’s need to start with ourselves. We need to understand our own problems.
So Jesus lovingly looked right in Martha’s eyes and said, Luke 10:42, “But only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken from her.”
The first thing in every Christian’s life ought to be Jesus. Jesus is the one necessary priority—Mary had chosen it and Martha should do the same.
When Jesus got there, Mary stopped everything else to spend time with Jesus. She sat at Jesus’ feet. She listened to what Jesus had to say. She was relaxed, renewed, refreshed, and refocused.
Her time with Jesus gave her a center and direction to life that would never be taken away from her. Jesus would soon be crucified. He had important and wonderful news about what this all means.
Martha also needed to stop and spend time with Jesus. As should each of us. Each of us should also refocus on Jesus. Put Jesus first. At least once a day sit at the feet of Jesus. Read the Bible. Pray. Share your needs. Be quiet and listen to what He says to your soul.
In the midst of your workday, your school day, and your business—stop and take time for Jesus. Make Him your highest priority. Do the same with your finances—Jesus first. Do the same with your relationships—Jesus first. Do the same with your career—Jesus first.
You will find that Jesus gives all of life meaning, purpose and focus. You will trust for the things and people you cannot control. You will relax more, be happier, and do what is best and right.
I don’t have time. There are jobs to do, bills to pay, problems to solve, calls to answer, places to go, kids ball games to attend, deadlines to meet, meals to serve. I don’t have time for myself, let alone Jesus or anybody else—come on, get real.
There’s an interesting illustration in the book, First Things First, by Stephen Covey. He tells about a business associate who set a large glass container on a table at a conference.
He put in some very large rocks and asked the audience to tell him when the container was full. It didn’t take long and everyone agreed the container was full. Then he poured some gravel over the rocks which filled in the spaces between the rocks until again everyone agreed the container was full.
But then, he poured fine sand over the gravel and rocks. A lot of sand went into the container filling in the spaces between the pieces of gravel until the container was full. By now no one was saying anything, though the container looked full.
Last of all he brought out a large pitcher of water and poured it over the rocks, gravel, and sand until the container was full to the brim. Then he asked the audience what would have happened if the water went in first.
It was obvious there wouldn’t have been room for the sand. What if the sand or the gravel went in first? The rocks would not fit. What’s the point?
First things should go in first. If the rocks are the most important, they must go in first or there will never be room for them in the crowded container.
But, there was also room for other things to fill in the crevices. When you prioritize and put first things first, the less important things won’t be all excluded—but they will have to find a way to fit around the rocks.
Martha’s mistake was that she put the wrong things first. She became distracted, worried and upset. She lost her focus. That was never Jesus’ intention! He just wanted to visit with His friends.
You must answer the question, “What is first in my life?” “What is more important than anything or anyone else?” The reality is, when Jesus is first in your life, other things will work out.
Mary got it right. She chose what was better and it could not be taken away from her. What about you? What would you do if Jesus were coming to your house today?
[Have you lost your focus? Are you settling for second or third best? If you really want to maintain your Christian focus, put Jesus first in your life. Keep your eyes on Him. Fill yourself to the brim with the loving Savior.]