171. Take a Break, Martha! Rest!

Luke 10:38-42

Key Verse:  “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.”

Luke 10:41-42

When my children were young, one of their favorite books was a book from the Weekly Reader, Sweet Pickle series called, “Rest, Rabbit, Rest.”  It was all about a rabbit who lived at a frantic pace and never had any fun.  His life was completely planned out with charts and graphs and schedules.  Finally, his friends got together and did everything on his “to do” list for him so that he could take a break.  Unfortunately, rather than appreciate the gift, he took all of their suggestions for what he could do with his free time and turned it into a new schedule to live by!

Some people just won’t stop. As we shared yesterday, Jesus’ message of rest often falls on deaf ears. They don’t feel as though they are worth anything unless they are scurrying around, involved with everything, and not able to just sit and relax and let someone else call the shots for a while.

Martha is an example of the type of person who is refusing the rest that the Lord is offering.  What is interesting is, when we talk about this story, especially in women’s circles, how many women rush to Martha’s defense.  I’ve heard comments like, “I’ll bet Jesus was glad for all Martha’s hard work when dinner was served.”  Or, “if it weren’t for Martha, nothing would get done around here.”  In other words, this story is a real tough sell in many places, leaving me to make the defense, “Hey, these aren’t my words. Take it up with Jesus!”

It’s important to note that Jesus is not encouraging laziness here. There are plenty of passages of scripture in which work is encouraged as a good witness to others. Hopefully, if you are a Martha reading this, you will understand that Mary was not being lazy either. She was actively learning and unlike the food that Martha was preparing, that would pass through and be gone tomorrow, what Mary was learning, would not be taken away from her.

You Marthas, how many times have you opted out of Bible study to go prepare the snack in the kitchen for afterwards? Or even left the worship service because you were "needed" in the kitchen? Perhaps your skills could be used to organize meal preps differently so you could sit at Jesus' feet to lean and grow spiritually along with the more Mary type people. Or, are you intentional about setting aside another time to learn?  Don’t neglect this important activity!  Learning is how you grow in Christ.

The priority should be to learn first, then take what you have learned to serve others.  Learning may be a resting time for your body, but it is a healthy time to grow for your Spirit.  It’s when you come aside and rest, that you unclutter your mind to allow God to speak with you.

Have you ever visited a friend who kept jumping up to check on dinner or check the wash or check the messages on the phone?  Nowadays, have you ever been in a conversation with someone who insists on texting, or answering the cell phone rather than give you their full and undivided attention?  Too often, that is how we treat God.  “Hang on, God, I just have to…then I’ll have my quiet time!”

Mary chose to suffer the scorn of a sister, put the busy-ness aside and sit at Jesus’ feet for a while.  She may not have known when she would have that chance again.  Her home, Bethany, was near Jerusalem.  She may have known that He was almost to His destination, so she wanted to learn from Him while she could. No one could take away what she had learned and experienced at the feet of Jesus. In truth, at times, that’s where I also long to be.

Hymn:  “There Is A Place of Quiet Rest”