Thought of the Day !!

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. 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."

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."
Luke 10:38-42 (NLT)

We will look at this rich passage of Scripture over the next couple days. Today I would like to examine the kind of service going on here. I believe that both Martha and Mary were serving Jesus. Martha's kind of serving is more evident. It's what was expected of women in this day and age. The women were to show hospitality, which would basically mean being good hostesses. She took care of the physical needs of Jesus and his disciples. She was cooking dinner for them. She most likely prepared the house for them and checked on them from time to time. Martha was serving as a doer of the things that needed to be done.

Then there's Mary. She too is serving Jesus. Though you might not see sitting at the feet of Jesus and learning as service, she is doing something for Jesus that he so desperately needs. You see, Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem (as verse 38 points out). He's not on his way to celebrate the Passover. He's not on his way to visit the city. He's on his way to die.

Remembering that though Jesus was fully divine…he was still also fully human (Maybe for me the hardest theological issue to understand). And as any human would need at a time like this, he needed a friend. He knew what was in store, and he most desired to enjoy his last visit with his friends. He needed someone to simply be there for him; to listen to him; to learn so that his legacy could be passed on. He needed a friend.

We think so much about how Jesus is there for us. But at this moment in history, he just needed someone to be there for him. And that's how Mary served Jesus.

Sometimes service requires physical labor. Sometimes it comes in just being there for somebody. And often times it lies somewhere in between.

In the love of Christ,
greg