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Continuing our study of Luke chapter 10, this week we’re looking at verses 38 – 42. Please read these verses every day this week and, if possible use a different translation each day, asking God to open your eyes to fresh revelation from His Word.
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Luke 10:40-42 (NIV)
‘Martha 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!”
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things,
but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’
Cath and I are blessed to have two wonderful children. They are similar in many ways but are also very unlike each other at certain times and in some situations. They were never any trouble growing up but just occasionally they would have disagreements. At those moments, one of them would come up to me and ask to ‘sort the other one out’.
I would have to work out what had happened and then try to act as judge providing guidance and discipline if necessary. What happened in almost every case was that the one who came to complain was never capable of accepting any of the blame for the disagreement. It was always the other one’s fault. “It was him” or “She did it first” were common phrases I heard.
Jesus’ response to Martha in our verses today implies a certain level of disapproval. “Martha, Martha” definitely shows some form of rebuke, but it is also filled with a heart of love and affection. Martha was pushing all the blame for her feelings on to her sister and on to Jesus. She just couldn’t see what she had done wrong and was convinced that it was Mary’s fault. She said that Mary ‘has left me to do the work’. This gives an indication that they had indeed both been preparing for the visit and that they probably had started the work together. I have some sympathy for her because there’s nothing worse than being left to do all the work while someone else sits around apparently doing nothing!
It really doesn’t matter who was to blame because Jesus’ response gets to the heart of the matter. He was concerned for Martha. He immediately wanted her to know that He really did care for her and that He knew what she was feeling: “You are worried and upset about many things”. Jesus actually uses the words ‘Anxious’ and ‘Troubled’.
Anxiety is a fear of something that may happen in the future. ‘Troubled’ is a word used to describe a state of mind or being that has been affected by current circumstances or by something that has happened in the past.
At one point in Jesus’ ministry He said these words, “Before Abraham was, I AM”. He was clearly stating that He was God incarnate, the great I AM. The one who was before all things and the one in whom all things are held together. Jesus turned to Martha and said “Only one thing is needed”. What does that mean? Well, I believe that it is very simple. Mary was worried about what could happen. She was being distressed by the issues that she was facing at that time. Her life was out of control and she couldn’t cope with the prospect of failure in the future. The one thing she needed was to grasp the significance of ‘I AM’. Jesus holds all things in His hands. Including Martha and including each one of us. My prayer is that we let go of the past and trust Him for our future. Let us move from the distractions of this world in order to sit at the feet of the great I AM.
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