Luke’s Gospel, has been named at various times the Upside Down Gospel. Jesus demonstrates again that he has come to seek and save the lost (cf Luke 15) That the rich will not inherit the earth, but the meek, Luke 4 vs 18-19 drawn from Isaiah 61 vs 1-2 sets out what he will do, to preach Good News to the poor, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, the release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour, the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all those whose mourn.
One of my all time favourite passages, and yet also one of the most confronting for me is the story of Martha and Mary, in so many ways Martha was the perfect hostess, and Mary was breaking tradition by sitting in the presence of a Rabbi. But for me it challenges the “busyness” I find myself getting distracted by in what is a time of dramatic change. May this meditation help re-focus on the best thing, the one thing to concentrate on, may we take time to listen to Jesus, through prayer, reading his word, letting go of the stuff that drags us down!
Luke 10 vs. 38-42 – Jesus Visits Martha and Mary
As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman
Named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught.
She was all ears, totally focussed on one thing, learning what she could, trying to understand what he did mean
In the first century for a woman to sit at the feet of a rabbi was unheard of, so for Mary this was a chance sought
She didn’t want to miss the opportunity, she knew Jesus and of his teaching and his healing power she had seen
To have him in her home was an amazing chance to listen and learn from him that couldn’t be sold or bought
So she ensured she focused on him and on what he was saying oblivious to all around her so she could glean
All he was saying, holding onto his every word, absorbing like a sponge, absolutely listening to what he taught
But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it
Seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”
Martha was fulfilling the expectation of her in her society to be the perfect hostess fussing so all was just right
Preparing a feast, wanting help from her sister she was drawn away from what God wanted her to see
Sometimes we can be so busy wanting to please, to be involved, that we are distracted, God is out of sight
When he is actually right there waiting for us to come and sit with him, to listen and just relax and be
But we’re too consumed by what we think is important, the tyranny of the urgent, that we of God lose sight
Life seems unfair, no one else is helping us and like Martha we call out “Tell her to come and help me”
But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing
Worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Be still and know I am God, stop rushing around, I want you to know me, that is your priority number one
And once you know me, you can know my purposes for you, what I call you to do, when and where
You can tire yourself out trying to please me, striving to be perfect, in the process life has no sun or fun
My desire is that you have life, life in all its abundance, remember this I on the cross your sins did bear
In order that you might be freed from sin and death, to bring your soul out of prison, make me your number one
Don’t worry about anything, instead pray about everything, know my peace I am for you always there.
Mark Maffey, September 2008© (NLT) http://maffster.blogtown.co.nz/