Choosing The Better Part

WE LIVE IN AN AGE OF TECHNOLOGY! I REALIZE THAT IS MORE THAN AN OBVIOUS STATEMENT, BUT WITH THE ADVANCES IN THE MANY FORMS OF ELECTRONICS, WE CAN BECOME EMERSED IN MANY NEUROLOGICAL AND CAPTIVATING ACTIVITIES.

ANYONE WITH A CELL-PHONE, TODAY, CAN ATTEST TO HOW MESMERIZING A SMALL, HAND-HELD PIECE OF TECHNOLOGY CAN BE TO LURE US AWAY INTO THE UNIVERSE OF DISTRACTION.

WE CAN BE IN ONE OF THE MOST INTENSE CONVERSATIONS WITH SOMEONE WE LOVE, BUT IF WE HEAR OUR PHONES BUZZ, VIBRATE OR RING, WE IMMEDIATELY BECOME DISTRACTED BY IT AND THEN OVERWHELMED WITH THE SENSE TO CHECK OUR PHONE.

IT IS NO DIFFERENT FOR A CHRISTIAN. WE, AS BELIEVERS, HAVE MORE THAN JUST OUR PHONES AND DAILY SCHEDULES TO DISTRACT US. WE HAVE AN ADVERSARY, THE DEVIL, WHO IS WAGING WAR AGAINST US AND USING TACTICS WITH ALL KINDS OF EVIL, POWER, AND TEMPTATIONS TO DISTRACT US AND TO DESTROY US.

IF WE ARE HONEST WITH OURSELVES, MOST OF OUR ISSUES, CONCERNS, AND PROBLEMS WE FACE ARE NEVER USUALLY STRONG ENOUGH TO “TAKE US DOWN,” BUT JUST STRONG ENOUGH TO PULL US AND DRAG US AWAY FROM A PROPER RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.

YES, WE ARE INVOLVED IN A WAR BETWEEN “GOOD AND EVIL,” BUT, JUST AS AGGRESSIVE, IS THE WAR BETWEEN “GOOD AND BETTER.” THE CHOICES WE FACE EACH DAY ARE NOT ALWAYS NEATLY PACKAGED AS BENG BETWEEN GOOD AND BAD.

WE ARE OFTEN CHALLENGED WITH THE TEMPTATION TO CHOOSE BETWEEN GOOD, BETTER, OR BEST. THERE ARE TIMES WE SETTLE FOR SOMETHING FAR LESS THAN WHAT IS BEST.

THE DICHOTOMY OF THESE CHALLENGES IS WHAT MAKES THIS LESSON BETWEEN MARY AND MARTHA SO UNIQUE. THE PROBLEM WITH MARTHA WAS NOT THAT SHE WAS DOING WRONG THINGS. SHE PROBABLY KEPT ONE EAR OPEN TO WHAT JESUS WAS SAYING, BUT SHE WAS SO UPSET, WORRIED, AND FRAZZLED WITH VARIOUS THINGS, SHE WAS MISSING OUT ON WHAT WAS ACTUALLY BEST.

VERSE 40, SAYS, “MARTHA WAS DISTRACTED BY ALL THE PREPARATIONS THAT HAD TO BE MADE.” THIS HEBREW VERB MEANS “TO BE DRAWN AWAY” OR “DRAGGING AROUND GOING TO AND FRO.” MARTHA’S DISTRACTIONS WERE GETTING HER FLUSTERED, BUT ALSO QUITE AGITATED AND NEARING DESPERATION TO GET ALL HER WORK ACCOMPLISHED.

I LIKED WHAT THE “LIFE APPLICATION BIBLE COMMENTARY” SAID: “…MARTHA WAS OVERDOING IT. SHE WANTED SOMETHING EXTRA SPECIAL FOR THE MASTER, BUT SHE LET HERSELF GET TO THE POINT WHERE SHE WAS DISTRACTED, OVERWORKED, AND UNABLE TO ENJOY [HER] GUESTS. [IN HER ATTEMPT] TO SERVE JESUS, SHE DID NOT UNDERSTAND OR ATTEND TO JESUS’ REASON FOR BEING THERE.”

JESUS DID NOT BLAME MARTHA FOR BEING CONCERNED ABOUT THE ELABORATE MEAL. JESUS WASN’T SCOLDING MARTHA FOR WORKING HARD TO MAKE JESUS FEEL WELCOMED.

HE WAS TEACHING HER (AND US) THAT SHE WAS PLACING TOO MUCH WORK INTO WHAT IS TEMPORARY RATHER THAN WHAT IS OF ETERNAL SIGNIFICANCE. JESUS IS HELPING US UNDERSTAND NOT TO GET DISTRACTED BY ALL THE THINGS THAT REALLY AREN’T ALL THAT IMPORTANT IN COMPARISON TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

NOW, LET’S LOOK AT MARY! SHE LOVES JESUS. SHE IS SITTING CLOSELY AT HIS FEET. SHE KNEW THAT LISTENING TO THE WORDS OF JESUS WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN TRYING TO PULL OFF A VERY EXCEPTIONAL AND ELABORATE MEAL. THIS IS THE SAME MARY THAT, IN JOHN 11:2, HAD POURED PERFUME ON JESUS AND WIPED HIS FEET WITH HER HAIR. MARY HAD A PROPER LOVE FOR JESUS.

VERSE 39, SAYS THAT MARY “SAT” AT THE FEET OF JESUS. THE WORD “SAT” IMPLIES “TO TAKES ONES PLACE SO AS TO PAY CLOSE ATTENTION.” SHE STOPPED HELPING MARTHA IN ORDER TO PUT HER FULL ATTENTION ON WHAT JESUS WAS TEACHING. HER HEART AND MIND WERE ATTUNED TO ACCEPT SUCH TEACHING FROM JESUS.

THIS WAS THE BETTER PART! LEARNING FROMWHAT JESUS HAD TO SAY WAS FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHAT THEY WERE GOING TO EAT FOR DINNER. MARY CHOSE TO ABIDE AS CLOSE TO JESUS IN ORDER TO IMPROVE HER RELATIONSHIP AND HERSELF.

WE REMEMBER JESUS’ SUCH TEACHINGS IN JOHN 15:4-5, “REMAIN IN ME, AND I WILL REMAIN IN YOU. FOR A BRANCH CANNOT PRODUCE FRUIT IF IT IS SEVERED FROM THE VINE, AND YOU CANNOT BE FRUITFUL UNLESS YOU REMAIN IN ME. YES, I AM THE VINE; YOU ARE THE BRANCHES. THOSE WHO REMAIN IN ME, AND I IN THEM, WILL PRODUCE MUCH FRUIT. FOR APART FROM ME YOU CAN DO NOTHING.”

JESUS SAID “APART” FROM ME, YOU CAN DO NOTHING. AGAIN, THE IMAGRY OF ACCEPTING JESUS AS SAVIOR AND LORD, PUTTING OUR FULL TRUST AND FAITTH IN PURSUING A CLOSE, PERSONAL, INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR HEAVENLY FATHER AND ALLOWING THE HOLY SPIRIT TO DWELL AND WORK IN US TO PRODUCE SPIRITUAL FRUIT TO GOD’S GLORY.

YES, INDEED, MARY CHOSE “THE BETTER PART.” THIS STORY OF MARTHA AND MARY SHOWS US THAT EXPERIENCING GOD’S LOVE AND PRESENCE THROUGH HIS SON, JESUS, IS OUR PRIORITY AS WELL AS THE MOST REWARDING, HEALING, EMPOWERING AND INSPIRING THING WE CAN DO THROUGH DAILY SURRENDER AND OBEDIENCE!