How can we have a deep life of prayer when we are so busy? There’s so much to keep up with. Just when we check off the eight things on our to-do list there are ten new things that come at us. And we often feel pressure not only to get things done but to get them done quickly. Especially in American culture, the pace of life is so frenzied that many live in a state of constant fatigue. When things do finally slow down we are so exhausted we just want to sleep or watch tv.
My wife loves to watch movies that are set in quieter times. I’ve watched my share of Jane Austen movies and watched (or slept through) many Downton Abbey episodes. I have to say I did enjoy it when my daughter took us to the movies for Christmas one year to see Little Women. I love how the family is busy (sort of) during the day and then the evenings are long and quiet. They sit around the fire each doing something: reading a book, quilting or just musing. Even the work of farming that so many people did in days past involved lush amounts of time in solitude in the open air. Plenty of time to think and pray. I wonder sometimes if all our modern improvements have really improved our quality of life?
It’s not just pressures to get things done that choke out our time for prayer but it’s the thousands of amusements that call out to us for attention. There are just so many interesting and fun things to do. All the time! How can we just tune everything out and sit with God? The famous story of Martha and Mary can give us some insight.
Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her." — Luke 10:38-42
You get the idea from the phrase, “And a woman named Martha welcomed Him (Jesus) into her house,” that the friendship with Martha and Mary, and also their brother Lazarus, was newer. Jesus may have had interactions with them at the Temple or the mountainside gatherings. But this, at least, was the first time Jesus had come into their home. We know from other portions of Scripture (John 11-12) that Jesus was close to these siblings. The verse “Jesus wept”—the shortest verse in the Bible—was in the context of feeling Mary and Martha’s grief over the death of their brother.
Jesus loves Martha
I believe Jesus really liked Martha. And Martha really wanted to bless Jesus with the perfect meal. I’m so curious about what she made for dinner that night. I’m guessing that’s what the story is referring to that “Martha was distracted with much serving.” The kitchen was probably overflowing with Mediterranean delights that needed to be prepared. Martha needed a sous chef to chop olives, onions and cucumbers! She was clearly getting stressed out and also a little irritated that her sister was just sitting around at the feet of Jesus. The audacity!
I’m sure Jesus was feeling the tension mounting in the air and knew that Martha was about to pop. I picture Martha in the kitchen grunting and groaning to let everyone know how hard it is to do everything alone. Maybe she was banging pots and crushing the chickpeas for the hummus a little more aggressively than needed.
Finally, she snaps. She can’t hold it in anymore. The first few words out of her mouth were “Lord, do you not care?” She went right for Jesus first. This wasn’t her best moment. Then she goes after her sister saying to Jesus “my sister has left me to serve alone”. In other words, “my sister also doesn’t seem to care that I’m doing all the work around here.” Then—if she hadn’t already said enough—she bosses Jesus into action by saying, “Tell her then to help me.” I picture her towering over Jesus waving a spatula as she’s ranting. Oh Martha!
So what does Jesus say? Here are the exact words again: “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her."
Tone
This response of Jesus could be interpreted as harsh. Like Jesus was saying, “Seriously Martha? Why can’t you just calm down and be more like your sister?” I don’t think that was the tone. I imagine the voice of Jesus speaking tenderly to Martha. When He said, “You are anxious and troubled,” I believe He was feeling empathy for her. He didn’t want her to feel anxious and troubled. When He said, “One thing is necessary,” He was freeing Martha from the burden of busyness. In so many words Jesus was saying, “Don’t worry about all that right now. Come, sit, join us, we’ll eat later.”
We don’t know what happened next in the story because it ends there. I like to think Mary was overcome with the presence of Christ’s love. She was so busy serving Jesus that she overlooked the glory of His nearness. I picture her breaking. Tears. She sits and they all talk together. We do know that Martha and Mary became good friends with Jesus.
Are we like Martha?
How about you? Do you get into that busy bee mode? Do you feel constant pressure to get things done and get them done now? Maybe you’re even annoyed that God places so much emphasis on praying because you’re thinking—“When do I have time to pray? You have put all this on me.”
I’m sharing this story not to rebuke those of you who are like Martha. I’m sharing it because I want you to realize that Jesus Himself—the Eternal Creator—is telling you not to worry about getting everything done. The Lord God is giving you permission to leave the dishes in the sink, do the laundry tomorrow, let the family eat leftovers tonight. Everything doesn’t need to get done today.
The lesson is about doing the most important thing first, namely, communing with Jesus. There will always be things to do on our list. People around us will always pressure us to do more.
Jesus isn’t encouraging irresponsibility and certainly isn’t telling us that serving people isn’t important. Jesus said, “The greatest in the kingdom shall be the servant of all.” The point was about priority. We shouldn’t put “spend time with Jesus” on the same list as “chop tomatoes, pay the electric bill and trim the hedges.” Spending time with Jesus isn’t even just first on the list—it’s everything. It’s the very essence of our existence. It’s why we were created! Let’s not miss out on “the good portion” because we are busy, busy, busy with things that can wait. Make your time with Jesus the most important thing you do each day. He doesn’t want our service only. He wants us.