I receive with faith the word of knowledge and it will bear fruit in our life I told beloved Jesus.
I forgot to mention, when Beloved Jesus said to Wendy the church elder at
the Healing Rooms, in a word of knowledge that I was busy, busy, busy like
Martha in Luke 10:38-42, He was still very close friends to both Martha and
Mary, and Martha was a loving Disciple and But
remember who we are talking about. It is Jesus, whom Martha had identified as
the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus had identified Himself as the resurrection and
the life.
Martha's
Discovery Of The One Necessary Thing
Luke
10:38-42
Jesus had three friends who lived
in Bethany. He would occasionally stay in their home when He was in Judea.
Lazarus, Mary and Martha were brother and sisters. They lived together in the
same house which probably was owned by Martha. At least, Luke records that it
was Martha who welcomed the Lord into her house (LUKE 10:38). Bethany was
located on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives on the road linking
Jerusalem to Jericho. It was just over a mile and a half from Jerusalem, or
about a half hour's walk. It would have been a very convenient place for Jesus
and His fellow Galileans to stay when visiting Jerusalem for a feast day or on
some other occasion. Also, its proximity to the garden of Gethsemane should be
noted. Though we only have the record of the Lord's final visit to Gethsemane
for prayer and His subsequent arrest there, we know that it was a favorite place
of His while in the Jerusalem area. Luke records that it was His custom to go to
that particular place (LUKE 22:39,40).
There are three passages of Scripture
which mention Martha. They are LUKE 10:38-42 when Jesus taught in her home while
she busied herself preparing food for her guests; JOHN 11:1-44 when Jesus raised
her brother Lazarus from the dead and JOHN 12:2 when Jesus visited her home just
six days before His crucifixion. We find her busy again preparing food while her
sister Mary anoints Jesus' feet with costly perfume.
LIFE'S DISTRACTIONS
"And she had a sister called Mary, who
moreover was listening to the Lord's word, seated at His feet. But Martha was
distracted by all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, 'Lord, do
You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell
her to help me." (LUKE 10:39,40). Both Mary and Martha are disciples of Jesus.
These two women deal with Jesus' visit in two different ways. It is certainly
important to observe something just now: it was not an either/or proposition for
them or for us. We do not have to choose between worshiping the Lord like Mary
or serving the Lord like Martha. Neither does there need to be such a conflict
between our physical or secular needs and our spiritual growth. Sadly, that is
exactly what many believers end up with.
A careful reading of the context
shows us that Mary had been in the kitchen with Martha until Jesus started
teaching. Note Martha said that her sister had left her alone to do all the
serving.
But Jesus knows that neither Mary nor
Martha can live by bread alone (MATTHEW 4:4). It was now time to digest some
spiritual bread and feed the soul. Martha was being distracted from her soul's
needs by other things. The other things in this case are not bad things.
Sometimes, even good things can fill up our lives to the point where we neglect
our souls. God has not blessed us with our families, friends, jobs, abilities
and other gifts to give us an excuse to abandon a close walk with Him. Without
Him we can do nothing (JOHN 15:5).
DO NOT LET
SO MANY THINGS WORRY YOU
"But the Lord answered and said to her,
'Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things." (LUKE
10:41). Anxiety is a killer. Many of the physical and mental ills of our present
day are stress related. And Martha is certainly a stressed out lady at this
point in time. Her exasperation can be seen in the way she forms her question,
"Lord, do You not care...?" I can well imagine her "stewing" for a time in the
kitchen (where else would you stew?) before being emboldened to charge into the
room in such a way. And certainly the Lord does care, but not nearly as much
about the problem as Martha sees it as He does about the real problem of which
Martha is unaware. The Lord is more concerned about Martha's state of mind and
priorities than He is about being served a feast later on.
Where faith grows, anxiety lessens.
This is one of the chief lessons Jesus taught earlier in His ministry during
what we call the sermon on the mount; "Do not be anxious then, saying, 'What
shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?'... But seek first His kingdom and His
righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (MATTHEW 6:31-33).
Having the correct set of priorities (putting His kingdom first) will greatly
reduce your chance of heart attack.
THE
NECESSARY THING
"...but only a few things are necessary, really only
one, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken from her."
(LUKE 10:42). The good part which Mary had chosen was to listen to the Lord's
teaching. In the final scheme of things, the things Jesus said that day were of
much more importance than what He ate. Today, if we are too busy to commune with
the Lord; to pray and study His word; to meditate on life's purpose and to enjoy
a peaceful, private time with Him, then there is something horribly wrong with
our practice. If our walk of faith consists mainly of going to church and then
on with life's busy day then we are not receiving of the goodness that the Lord
has planned for us. And if we are so hassled by the routines of daily existence
that we find ourselves lashing out at those we love as Martha did on that
occasion, then isn't that a good indication that something needs
fixed?
THE RESURRECTION AND THE
LIFE
"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life; he who
believes in Me shall live even if He dies." (JOHN 11:25). After Lazarus had
died, and as Jesus approached Bethany, it was Martha who ran to meet Jesus while
Mary remained at the house. Her first words seem to mingle faith and complaint;
"Lord, if You had been here my brother would not have died. " (JOHN 11:21).
While one does not want to condone the complaint, it must be understood that
many of the faithful have complained about one thing or another. Abraham, Job,
Moses, David and Jeremiah to name a few. God seems to have more patience with
this than He does with faithless grumbling and foolish accusations such as those
made by the Israelites in the wilderness.
Martha's faith in Jesus never
wavered. When Jesus asks her about her belief in Him, she sums up her faith this
way; "Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even
He that comes into the world." (JOHN 11:27).
Jesus had earlier said only one thing
is really necessary. I believe He was referring to faith. Faith comes by hearing
His word (ROMANS 10:17). Faith overcomes the world (I JOHN 5:4). Without faith
it is impossible to please God (HEBREW 11:6). We must keep the faith to receive
the crown of righteousness at life's end (II TIMOTHY 4:7,8). For that reason,
the gospel is taught that men and women might be led to the obedience of faith
(ROMANS 16:26).
Jesus approached the tomb where
Martha's brother's body lay. Four days before he had died. But the One with the
keys to death and Hades was about to call Lazarus back to this realm. Martha
would soon be reunited with her brother.
A
BALANCED APPROACH TO SERVING JESUS
"So they made Him a supper there,
and Martha was serving but Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with
Him." (JOHN 12:2). Here we find Martha serving again. This time the purpose of
the gathering is to have supper. The end of Jesus' ministry is approaching, and
it seems as if both Mary and Martha are far more aware of the fact than even the
apostles. Mary anoints Jesus' feet with costly perfume and weeps openly. Martha
does the thing she evidently knew the best. She fixes our Lord a dinner for
perhaps her last time. No complaint this time. The Lord is about to go to the
place from which He had called Lazarus. But remember who we are talking about.
It is Jesus, whom Martha had identified as the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus had
identified Himself as the resurrection and the life. He had proven it by raising
her brother from the dead. He would prove it again on the third day following
His own death. He would live again!
