When Martha complained to Jesus about Mary, Christ never said, "Martha, sit down, be quiet, and listen!" Instead, He gently showed her a picture of herself - as if holding up a mirror for her to gaze into - then reminded her of the One Thing that was needful. He gently challenged her to accept that needful thing, as Mary had done - salvation, then submission.
I can see Martha now...standing before the Lord - her hands on her hips, perhaps even with a stomp of her foot, like a naughty, little child. Blurting out the words of hurt and frustration, even hot anger, "Lord, dost thou not care....???? Don't you care, Lord? I'm over here breaking my back to serve You and Mary's sitting over there doing NOTHING!!! Selfish thing - why don't You make her get up and help me?!?!?"
Isn't that how we act so many times? I know I have. I spit out venomous words to my Saviour - demanding an answer, demanding a solution, demanding that others come down to my level - instead of remembering that times with Jesus cannnot be replaced. The dishes can wait. The laundry will be there. Those lesson plans are not top priority. My relationship with my Lord must be first! I must sit at His feet and take all His words into my heart - only then can I serve with the proper humility. Only then can I call Him "Master." ONly then can I serve Him quietly and with full submission. Only then can I be the right example for those around me - my husband, my children, our church family, the Deaf, my friends, and the lost who live all around me.
Martha the Brave, Martha the Doer, Martha the Organizer and House-Keeper Extraordinaire! How I love Martha! I may not be the housekeeper extraordinaire, but am just like Martha the Doer - always busy about something. How grateful I am that God chose to show us Martha's whole story - how she went from Martha the Insulted Servant to Martha the Silent and Submissive Servant. Still serving, still busy doing, but listening to what the Master had to saay. That's the Martha I want to be like.
No comments:
Post a Comment