Mary and Martha and Me

I'll be honest, I've had some long discussions with God about the whole Mary and Martha thing. Books have been read, studies have been done, and yet, this story has always irked me. Mary, as you remember, was the one who sat at Jesus' feet and listened while Martha was busy in the kitchen and irked. Martha finally gets worked up enough to say something to Jesus. "Lord, I'm in here doing all this work and Mary is doing nothing - ask her to help me!" Jesus responds "Martha, Martha, 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." Because I am a type-A, "get things done" kinda person, I obviously have strong feelings towards Martha. When I read this story in the Bible, I picture Mary sitting on the floor at the feet of Jesus, flowers in her hair, dressed in a long white gown (ironed by Martha) smiling - oblivious to her surroundings. Oblivious to what it takes to run a home, or do laundry, or be ready for such a guest as the Savior of the world. I read it and I'm upset. I mean, really, if all of us were like Mary nothing would get done! I picture Mary never worrying about anything because someone is always taking care of what should be her responsibility. Poor Martha - getting the shaft. "Sure you can sit there and listen to him" I see her saying to herself "because I'm in here doing all the work! Must be nice!" It's hard when you read the Bible at times to get a true picture of who a person is. Mary loved Jesus very much based on scripture ,and I am taking great liberty to picture her as a 60's flower girl (even though she does use perfume and wipe Jesus' feet with her hair). Nevertheless, I received new insight to this story on Saturday by Whitney Capps from Proverbs 31. In John 12 verse 2, a dinner is given in Jesus' honor and it reads "Martha served". I don't think this was just a little tidbit. I think it shows that Martha was still being Martha. While her sister was wiping Jesus' feet with her hair (being Mary), Martha is again doing what she does. Jesus didn't tell Martha to stop being herself. God created her and serving is part of her spiritual gifts that her heavenly Father gave her. Thank God for people like Martha! When Jesus said Mary had chosen what is better, he didn't tell her to never clean again; never cook again; never serve again. Jesus was there, in her presence, and yet she was busying herself with tasks. How many times am I missing out on being in the Lord's presence because of my task-oriented nature? How many times in teaching little children in Sunday School do I miss out on a "holy moment" because I am too busy preparing for the craft? How many times do I sit in church wondering where we are going for lunch instead of opening my heart to worship my Lord? Oh my goodness the times I have missed because I have chosen the wrong thing! So many times I say "be right with you Lord, just let me throw in this laundry first so it can be going while I talk to you. Oh, and let me get the dishwasher going so that can be finished when we're done. Well, let me grab this one call - it will only take a minute and then I'll be right with you." Yep, I'm a Martha alright! The best thing about this story though is found in John 11 verse 5. "Jesus loved Martha and her sister"....... Did you catch that? Jesus loved Martha. Jesus loved Martha! That verse has forever changed my thoughts on the story of Mary and Martha. Jesus loves me and my task-oriented self. He loves me when I make my list, and he loves me when my list goes unchecked. He loves me. How can I not want to spend time with Jesus? How can I continue to put all these meaningless tasks above being in the presence of someone who loves me this much? A Savior who loves me just as I am - with all my faults and sins. Yes, the laundry still needs to get done and lunches need to be packed - but only AFTER spending time with the only one who can change my whole day around. Thank you Lord for new insight to your word every day.