Jesus is in the House

By Reverend Michael Farias

I remember the day the pastor came over for a visit.  My wife and I were new Christians, and we had never hosted such a distinguished guest before.

Fortunately, we had prior notice and it wasn’t a surprise visit.  Even though it was a long time ago, I still remember the uneasy feeling.  I think we were uneasy because we weren't sure how to behave.

How do you think you would respond if Jesus showed up at your house?   This is exactly what happened to Mary and Martha in Luke chapter 10. Let’s take a look at how they responded.

Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.  And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. Luke 10:38-39.  

The next verse has been widely preached because it focuses on the contrast of behavior between the siblings, Martha and Mary.  

But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”  Luke 10:40.  

Wow!  There is possibly the hint here of a sibling rivalry, and maybe even an obsessive personality showing up.  Mary is just sitting there at the feet of Jesus, while Martha is distracted because of her busyness.  

We can be in the presence of the Lord and completely miss what it is that is important.  Hustle and bustle are not the priority.  Cleaning and cooking are not the priority.  Serving and sacrificing are not the priority.  Martha was upset because Mary was not participating in the activities, but just sitting there.  Is this an exhibition of laziness we see on the part of Mary?  Martha appeals to the Lord to tell Mary to get up and get busy.  It only seems fair, right?  But Jesus saw things differently.

And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.  But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”  Luke 10:41-42.  

Jesus identified that Martha was worried and troubled.  Worry and trouble are not attributes that we should be carrying around.  The Lord also identified that Mary was doing that which was good, exactly what she should be doing, and Jesus was not about to disrupt it.

I want to conclude by taking a close up view of precisely what Mary was doing that Jesus identified as so valuable.  She wasn’t just sitting there.  Let’s look again at verse 39.  

And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word.  

There it is.  Do you see it?  It’s clear.  It says, she heard His word.

We all have duties and responsibilities to perform.  But busyness can give us a false sense of righteousness.  There is no amount of activity that can replace the Word of God.

Greater Than Gold Bible Studies will help you adjust your priorities by giving you an enjoyable way to spend time in the Word and with the Word.