'PAYING ATTENTION TO JESUS IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN BEING BUSY.'

MEN'S BREAKFAST TALK OCT 15 2022 .. this was a talk to a group of men one Saturday morning. The breakfast was sponsored by CrossRidge Church, Cloverdale BC. 

Luke 10 ³⁸ Now as they went on their way, Jesus⁴ entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. ³⁹ And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. ⁴⁰ 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.” ⁴¹ But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, ⁴² but one thing is necessary.⁵ Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

This sounds like a passage appropriate for a Women’s brunch not a Men’s’ Breakfast.  Yet the lesson is not gender specific.

The village that Jesus entered was Bethany. A family became Jesus’ cherished friends. Martha and Mary are mentioned here. They had a brother named Lazarus. This brief anecdote contrasts the behaviours of the two women in the presence of Jesus. It was a big deal to have Jesus visit your house. Martha could hardly wait to feed him, preparing foods and serving him. Mary could hardly wait to be fed, sitting enthralled and listening to Kingdom words coming from the King. Then Martha became annoyed. When she complained to Jesus that Mary wasn’t helping her and asked Jesus to reprimand Mary, Jesus gently told Martha, “Martha, you’re consumed with worries about secondary matters. Mary has made the better choice. I won’t take that away from her.” – But isn’t food important? Martha didn’t ask that. I am supposing natural follow-up questions. Of course, food is important but when that household of guests became hungry, and if Martha had not prepared it, wouldn’t there be someone else who could do it? Jesus could have made something. I mean, Jesus turned water into wine one time, and he turned a boy’s lunch into a meal for a few thousand people. He was not a magician. He was divine. Listen to him. He existed in the beginning, and everything was made by him. He is wise and holy. Listen to him.