HAVING A MARY IN A MARTHA WORLD WEEK 1 PART 2

“ While God created us to enjoy a deep and intimate relationship with Himself and while works of service are important, they must never eclipse the fellowship, God wants to experience with each of us” –Charles Stanley, pastor

What was wrong with Martha’s hospitality?

Nothing was wrong wither her hospitality, however her priorities were out of order. She was so concerned with the task of serving that she missed the greater importance of taking time to sit at Jesus’ feet. Life’s greatest priority should be to take in and reflect on our relationship with Jesus.

Watch this short video.

You may be asking yourself if we all adored Jesus as Mary did, who would do the work?  Mary did more than just sit at the feet of Jesus, She undoubtedly took her turn to serve. The tension was not caused by Mary’s unwillingness to help, but Martha’s excessive preparations.

Jesus said such extraordinary efforts were unnecessary in fact, few things are needed, or indeed only one.

Our adoration and relationship with Jesus will naturally lead to service.

WEEK 1 PART 2

Mary and Marth are like day and night. Mary appears to be laid-back and Martha appears high-strung. Which one is right and which one is wrong?

Neither are wrong.  We are all made different, that is the way God designed us. We have different gifts, personalities, strengths and weaknesses.

Both Mary and Martha had the same choice to work or to worship. Mary chose the “better part”. BUT both are needed.

Mary is captivated by this man Jesus. He speaks like no other man. Mary didn’t care about tradition or custom. She didn’t care about what others would think. She had one goal in mind.

In our everyday life, we deal with tension of what is urgent and what is important. The problem is that the important tasks, rarely must be done that day (today) or even within the week. However urgent tasks calls for our immediate attention. Urgent task aren’t always important either.

When Jesus rebukes Martha, she learned that while there is time for work, there is also time for worship. This same Martha will be different later in the Gospels. She is full of faith and trust. No longer frantic and resentful. That changes comes from “sitting at Jesus’ feet”.

Mary changes too. When sorrow comes, she has doubt, not faith. But then later on she returns to the worship she learned and did it beautifully and sacrificially.

Is it impossible to be in the presences of Jesus and NOT be changed?

What about us?

Martha may have opened her home to Jesus but that doesn’t mean she opened her heart. In her eagerness to SERVE Jesus. She almost missed the opportunity to KNOW Jesus. We get trapped feeling like we must prove our love for God by doing great things for Him. Ministries of helping the poor, supporting mission work and trips, helping the children and youth, teaching Bible Studies or Sunday school. We by-pass the “intimacy” time with Jesus, but we fail to “know” Him.

Matthew 7:22-23 says “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?...

God wants companionship. The world wants applauds and achievements. When we put work before worship. Both are important, but it needs to be in the right order to work effectively.

Are you getting it in the right order? Maybe you have known the Lord for some time and yet you haven’t found the peace and fulfillment you’ve longed for. You decide to do more “service”. You will merit more love. But that doesn’t work or perhaps you have withdrawn from service. When you go to church, you are going through the motions of worship. When you leave and get home, you are feeling the same. Then you wonder what the sermon was about.

We should thank the Lord that salvation isn’t about what we do, it’s about what Jesus did on the cross for you and me.

Jesus wants to tell us the same thing that he told Martha. Insert your name in the blank. “___________, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.”

The one thing is not found in doing more service. It is found sitting at Jesus’ feet. 

Jesus wants the same gift from you that Mary gave. AVAILABILITY.

LORD, DON’T YOU CARE ?

Have you ever said those words? Life is hard. Life is unfair. Even when we work diligently and do what is expected of us, there are often few rewards here on earth.

Martha just needed a little help. That’s all she wanted. She wanted her sister to help her. When we feel overwhelmed, we want others to carry their part of the load. Right? It’s only fair.

Here are some signs that you might recognize when you are having a “Martha Overload”. These are 5 unrealistic expectations that can contribute to a servant’s “burnout”.

·       There should not be any limits to what I can do

·       I have the capacity to help everyone

·       I am the only person available to help

·       I must never make a mistake

·       I have the ability to change another person

We have always “weighed”, compared others to us since childhood. “He’s got more than me” “It’s my turn”. Some of us still have these tendencies in adulthood. Fair nor fair. Equal or unequal. Just or unjust. We weigh it all.

If we expect life to always be fair, we inevitably set ourselves up for a big disappointment. If we have these feelings, Satan will jump on the band wagon and ride. He loves to steal our joy and he does it very easy.

How does he do it you ask? He uses distraction, discouragement and doubt. Deadly D’s.

Martha took her “deadly D’s” to Jesus. Just as we should do.

READ Matthew 7:7. We can bring our needs to Jesus anytime and anywhere. READ 1 Peter 5:7. Jesus cares about what concerns us. So when we think or ask “Lord, don’t you care, then answer we already should know. YES HE DOES. And if He needs to rebuke or discipline us, it is what we need. READ Revelations 3:19. Just as Jesus understood Martha’s pain, that didn’t stop him from telling her what she needed to hear.

Jesus loves us too much to give us what we want. Instead he gives us what we need. Just as he did for Martha when he invited her to draw close to him.

Sitting at Jesus’ Feet

1.     Read 1 Kings 1-18. How did the “Deadly D’s” attack Elijah after the great victory over the prophets of Baal? Distraction? Discouragement? Doubt?

2.  In the above passage, how did God minister to Elijah in the midst of his discouragement? How has God ministered to you when you felt alone and were hurting?

3.   In Mark 4:35-41, the disciples echoed Martha’s question; “Don’t you care?” What does this portion of Scripture teach us about the difficult time in our lives. (Consider reading Isaiah 43:1-2)

4.  Read Psalm 103. List at list five of the many ways God shows his love for us.