In The Moment

You may recall the story, as recorded in Luke 10:

Jesus dropped in at the home of Martha, Mary and Lazarus. The visit was apparently unannounced. Martha invited Jesus to stay in their home. As you might imagine, she got busy making everything suitable and comfortable for his stay. Her sister, Mary, sat listening to Jesus.

Exasperated, Martha complained to Jesus, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

Jesus answered, “Martha, Martha, you are getting worried and upset about too many things. Only one thing is important. Mary has made the right choice, and it will never be taken away from her.”

I’m confident Jesus was not promoting laziness or disregard for the need to help others. But he was giving a valuable principle. When Jesus comes to visit, it is more important to spend time with him than doing things for him.

Opening one’s home is a wonderful act of kindness. Cleaning and cooking is necessary, especially to make others comfortable in your home. Martha—long before most others—seemed to recognize that Jesus actually was the Messiah, the Lord. Martha was gracious, hospitable, kind, and serving. She would be an excellent role model for any young person. She was unselfish, generous, and thoughtful. She anticipated Jesus’ needs, and wanted others to learn to meet their guests’ needs as well.

So what was the problem?

First, let’s be clear. Jesus loved both Martha and Mary. Some time later, Lazarus became sick, and the two women sent for Jesus. By the time Jesus came, Lazarus had died. It was Martha that met Jesus when he arrived. It was to Martha that Jesus promised that Lazarus would be raised from the dead; it was to Martha that Jesus declared himself the resurrection and the life. Martha then went and got her sister, Mary—to be sure she knew Jesus had come. It was Martha who—again expressing concern for others—cautioned Jesus about opening Lazarus’ tomb because of the smell of the corpse. It was to Martha that Jesus then said, “Now remember what I just told you, and watch now to see God’s glory.” So, Jesus’ words to Martha during the first visit were not unkind or harsh; they were instructive and helpful.

The problem was simply that Martha was with Jesus, but not really with him.

Obviously, you and I need to apply this in our spiritual life. We sometimes need to cease our godly activity, our religious busy-ness, our Christian service and spiritual ministry, and just be with Jesus. This is something beyond prayer; it is more like an active listening. Many Godly people have written of their experience in such a relationship. I commend to you Practicing the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence.

But I actually want to make a different point from what I’ve written. I want to challenge us to take this principle and apply it to others in our lives. I suggest that we set aside time to be with a spouse, a child, a friend, a needy person. Not simply to do something for them, not to be busy around them, not to include them in our activity; but to make that person our focus for a time.

As an example, when you have your son or daughter watch “the game” with you, do you quickly get absorbed in the game and simply have the son there beside you? Or do you get absorbed in the son, and use the game only as the starter? Where is the focus? After the game, do you remember the scoring plays, or do you remember the expressions and questions and comments of your daughter?

I suggest that we show the value we place on others by giving ourselves wholly to them; that we learn to be completely in the moment in those special, unrepeatable times. Those times will never be forgotten.
By either of you.

‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
Matthew 25:40