Mary and Martha

Day 21, Feb 25th 2024

Topic: Mary and Martha

Text:  John 12:2-3, Luke 10: 41-42

Introduction-

Today we will be discussing and examining the life of Mary and Martha. What comes to mind when we hear the name Mary? We immediately think about the mother of Jesus. However, we will be talking about a different Mary. Many of us know the story of Lazarus, Mary and Martha are the sisters of that Lazarus whom Jesus raised  from the dead. We are very familiar with that story.

The bible introduced us to Mary, Martha, and their brother Lazarus as passionate followers of Christ. We learnt about their devotion and hospitality to Jesus and his disciples. How they open their home to support the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ, and they became His friends. The bible in John 11: 5 Says “Now Jesus Loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus”. How amazing is that to be loved by Jesus.

Life Lessons and Life applications

Now that we know about Mary and Martha, what are some life lesson and life application from these women that we can incorporate in our daily life. The story of Mary and Martha describes 2 different personalities. While I was studying these characters, I began to draw inference on their emotional, and physical state, as they offer their services to the Lord. By the end of this teaching, I want us to look deep down and identify which personality you are. Are you Mary or a Martha.

1. The Invitation: The book of Luke 10:38-39 “that Jesus went into a certain village and a certain woman named Martha welcomed him into her home..…. I can compare that to every born again Christian. We have heard about Jesus and all that he can do for us, we yearn for his presence and when we had the opportunity, we accepted him and invited him into our home. However, we did not consider that inviting him in comes with responsibilities, rules and regulation if you will. This is where it gets interesting.
2. Finding balance: Don’t confuse responsibility and relationship. Responsibility by definition means being accountable.  While relationship is defined as being connected. After inviting Jesus in we need to have a relationship with him and become responsible for our actions. We need to prioritize, otherwise we become overwhelmed and start to complain, and this can lead to distractions. That book of Luke 10 in verse 40a we began to see the character Martha doing this. Let’s open and read. But Martha was distracted with much serving…  in other words, she was keeping busy and missing out. Can I speak to women quickly… we wear many hats and titles; we can easily excuse why we don’t have time. We begin to expect everyone to do the same. Martha was all about her service; she was task oriented. There was nothing wrong in what she was doing, but because of a choice she made, she expected her sister to do the same. In verse 40b “She approached Jesus and said Lord do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore, tell her to help me. Mary was seated at the feet of Jesus learning, Martha busied herself with cooking. I am sure many parents have seen this scenario amongst their children. Even husband and wife. Mary was working smart. Martha was working hard.

TIME AND PLACE. Eccl 3: 1 to 8 (We can read on our own). It explains that there is a set time for everything. There is a time to learn and a time to cook, but you cannot cook and learn at the same time.

3. Prioritizing: No matter how busy you are, seek God first. While we are trying to live up to the proverb 31 woman, we must have our priorities in order. Jesus responded to Martha after she asked Him to tell her sister to help her in verse 41 Jesus answered and said to her. “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary”. In that moment, Jesus prioritizes Martha. He did not dismiss her, but he recognized her current emotional state. Jesus did not say Mary was wrong nor did he say that Martha was right, He validated both of them.  Even if Mary was there to help, Martha was worried about many things. Mary was happy to stop everything she was doing to learn at Jesus feet which was her worship and Martha was happy to provide her service.

Lesson of the Day

1. There is time for everything: Do not make problems a priority
2. Seek God first
3. Find balance between your worship and Service

Complied by: Omolade Eruanga