I think every woman (and man) on the planet can relate to Martha.  Between housework, jobs, family, doctors’ appointments, errands, shopping, volunteering and somewhere in there finding time to shower, eat and sleep, we completely get it when Martha got upset, grumbling that “my sister just sits here while I do all the work.”  We feel her longing for justice when she finds her sister getting a pass on responsibilities and therefore creating more work for Martha. 

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Early in my college days, I started journaling my prayers and what I was learning in scripture.  I love to look back at old entries and see how God answered those prayers.  However, if you were to scroll through the entry dates of all the books, you’d find some voids of time, sometimes spanning years over my adult life!  While that doesn’t mean I never prayed or read the Bible in those times, it is a good indication of how much I let life distract me from sitting in His presence, fellowshipping with Him. What happened during those years? 

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I was active in church; I was the youth pastor’s wife, I volunteered, I chaperoned, I set-up, cleaned-up, chauffeured, hosted, prepared meals and served on just about every committee there is including my personal favorite, the “nominating committee”.  On top of that, I worked full-time, helped start and run a family business, and played the roles of wife, mom, and household manager. Serving God was happening with my hands and feet ‘round the clock but listening to Him with my heart and mind was sporadic. I longed for it deeply though the busyness of life constantly distracted me; actually, it felt like it was even pulling me away.  It’ll only take a few minutes to fold that load of laundry, only a few minutes to wash up those dishes, only a few minutes to look over the bills, only a few minutes to make a phone call. None of those things were bad things, in fact, they were all important things, some quite necessary things but when we find ourselves progressively shifting the priority of sitting at Jesus’ feet going from #1 to #101, there’s an imbalance that needs to be amended, an emptiness that only can be filled by Him.  

Martha always gets the bad rap in sermons on this passage, and we likewise often take on a heap of guilt when we find ourselves juggling life’s tasks just like her. If you examine the verses however, Jesus was less about reprimand and more about encouragement. He gently addresses her, “My dear Martha, you are worried over all these details.” He didn’t want her to be in distress over the meal; He wanted to remind her that she could find rest in Him. Jesus told His followers the same, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30) We often take everything on and feel that we must accomplish it all on our own. But we were never designed to do that, we were designed first and foremost to glorify the Father. What happened? It was in the Garden when man chose to disobey Him that the curse of labor was bestowed to all generations. And yet, He doesn’t leave us helpless; He gives us skills, talents, and gifts to help us fulfill the purpose He has for each of us.   

Jesus was the Son of God, born in the flesh. He knows that people need to be fed and that sick children need to be cared for. He knows all our privations and chores and knows them even better than we do. Note, He only pointed out Mary’s better choice to Martha after Martha complained about her sister not helping. Because it was at that moment that Martha’s service came more from obligation than offering. Ever been there? The issue wasn’t about Martha’s actions of hospitality but about her heart. Paul warned about that to the church in Colossae as well, “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” (Col 3:23) It’s so easy to slip into the hamster wheel cranking out service acts as if they were widgets on a conveyor belt and forgetting for whom we serve. God’s calling us to service for others with a thankful heart.

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No matter how much of a lapse there is between times spent listening to Jesus, He is always there waiting for me and for you. Like the father to the prodigal son, He reaches out His arms.  His love never fails.  It's in those moments with Him that we are refreshed. 

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Accomplishing a list will never give us that same feeling of renewal; there will always be another list. But, there is only one Savior and Lord; He knows your name and He's longing to spend time with you. He calls you to fellowship with Him. Will our time be a chore or a privilege, an offering or an obligation?