Luke 10:38-42 (NIV):

At the Home of Martha and Mary

38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one.[a] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

This Word was on my heart this week as I’ve been really busy with a lot of projects-and the LORD kept whispering to my heart about Mary and Martha and learning how to trust Him, and stop being distracted. I’m still dealing with this and I still have those projects but I want to share what the LORD ministered to my heart about this topic during this process.

Now Martha opened her home to the LORD. In other words, Martha invited the LORD into her day to day life and responsibilities because she opened her home to him. So how many of you can relate with this? You say, LORD I entrust this day unto your hands, I invite you to take freewill over my actions and decisions and interactions? A few of us are like this-we have this prayer of invitation with the LORD-which is what Martha did because she opened her home to him. But some of us, don’t even invite the LORD in. I want to emphasise this point-if you don’t invite the LORD into your heart, your home, He will not come in:

Revelation 3:20 (NIV)

20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

Martha had to invite him in by opening her home up to Him. She basically opened herself up to Him. Have you opened yourself up to Him? Have you invited Him in? To invite means to ask. This is why you have to accept the LORD into your heart firstly.

So Martha invited the LORD in and so He came in. And you have to understand something, whenever you invite the LORD into your life, everyone around you will be affected because the atmosphere surrounding your home, and your heart has changed. He has come in-and so He brings change. Hence everyone around you, everyone close to you, will meet Him through you-they will all be affected. This is when you have invited Him in. A quick word on this: Don’t force your Christianity down people’s throats-your life should be a testimony because we are living sacrifices:

Romans 12:1 (NIV)

A Living Sacrifice

12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

The Holy Spirit will speak through you and your actions to those people-just invite Him in and He will move. This is why the Word says:

John 3:30 (NIV)

30 He must become greater; I must become less.”

He will speak through you-and He changes you:

Romans 12:2 (NIV)

2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

This was how Mary, Martha’s sister met the LORD. Mary sat at the LORD’s feet listening to what He said. A couple of things about this:

Firstly, Mary sat. In other words, she positioned herself to receive from God. Some of us struggle with positioning ourselves to receive from the LORD. We want to do everything ourselves, we don’t want to leave anything to Him, we think we can do it better-I get it-I’ve been there before and it is an area I battle with consistently but this is why we have to learn to submit to Him in spirit so that the flesh can become less convincing in our lives. The Spirit desires what is contrary to the flesh. (Galatians 5:17).

And the truth is our spirit is willing to receive, but the flesh is weak! (Matthew 26:41).

So we have to learn to be positioned to receive from Him-to be still and know that He is God. (Psalm 46:10).

The irony is, Martha made the invitation but Mary received the benefit of His presence.

So Mary sat-she was positioned to receive. And when you are positioned to receive He speaks. This is why it says Mary sat at the LORD’s feet listening to what he said. If she was listening, He must have been speaking. And the text does not say what He said to her which is another level of revelation because what He says to you, will be personal to your situation. We are not even privy to the conversations between Mary and Jesus. It was strictly between them-this is relationship.

Some of you, practice religion-Religion is Martha-you say a prayer of salvation and then go about your business and wonder why your life is the same instead of sitting at His feet, waiting to listen, positioned to receive a genuine connection with Him. The problem is not that He is not there the problem is you are not listening. It doesn't matter if the work you are doing is for the Kingdom-God desires time with you and you alone-this is relationship. We all struggle in this area-but it is important to flag it and attend to it consistently-spend time with the LORD.

And you have to be positioned first-be still-wait on the LORD-and then He will begin to speak:

Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV)

13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

The invitation into the home-is the invitation into the heart. But have you sought Him? Have you sat down? If you have, that is where the change happens, if you have not, there won’t be a change because your actions have not reflected your decision-He is there but you are not ready to receive.

Now this is where it gets interesting-I identify with Martha in this passage-and to be honest, we all have seasons where we go through Martha-the struggle with the flesh, with taking matters into our own hands-and Mary-submitting to the will of the Spirit. But I ask you, who is closer to the LORD? Even from a position of simple visualization this is obvious: Mary is because she was literally sat at His feet.

They were both in the same room but Mary was sat at His feet. Which is why some of us when we go to church, we don’t connect with the message, we don’t know why people are driven to tears in praise and worship, why they are so excited-you even think He might not be there-I guarantee you He is, if it is a Spirit filled church-the LORD is present but are you in relationship like Mary? Are you at His feet-because if you are, you will here Him speak-hence those that connect with the message, and feel His presence in church for instance. Or are you Martha? He is there but because you have no genuine connection with Him, you cannot even feel His presence.

So Martha was distracted because whenever we are far away from the LORD it means the flesh is winning. Distraction is a personality trait of the flesh not the Spirit. The fruits of the Spirit do not have distraction as an element (Galatians 5:22-23).

So Martha was distracted meaning she lacked focus-she got lost in her to do list-as well do sometimes. I can identify with Martha-sometimes the work load is a lot, sometimes you are just extremely stressed-but you forget the answer is right there. He is the answer. He gives peace:

Matthew 11:28 (NIV)

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

This is why Mary was at peace but Martha was stressed.

I can relate to Martha in this passage so much because sometimes you get lost in your responsibilities and you don’t even realize you have wandered away from His presence. Btu then Martha went to the LORD-its interesting because when she went to Him even though she was previously lost in her preparations, even though you are lost in that project, those responsibilities, when you go to Him in prayer, He answers.

Martha went to the LORD to complain-to vent. And that too is okay-I always say prayer is conversation-the Lord is also your friend so you can be honest about your feelings.

Martha complained about Mary because she was upset that Mary was not helping her out. God spoke to me about this this week-He reminded me that we come to Him complaining don’t you care about the amount of work I have to do? Why aren’t you helping me? Or we come and say Lord why did you give me that position, its too much effort; LORD college is too demanding and sometimes even when we are in this stressful place, we complain about people and come to God saying Lord, why don’t you speak to my husband/wife/sister/friend they are being a pain. We make them the focus of our problem.

But God always answers in a way you never expect which makes me smile. Jesus firstly called her name because He calls us by name (Isaiah 43:1).

And the LORD told her her heart-when you come to Him, He shows you the source of your problems. And He said to her, she was worried and upset about multiple things-because that’s what happens when you’re stressed-you become worried, upset, irritated-all fruits of the flesh as well. Everything is annoying. And that was what the LORD said-He is the spiritual surgeon-He knows the root of your problem.

And He said to her:

Luke 10:42 (NIV)

42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one.[a] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

In other words, Martha was expending her energy carelessly. This is an important point-usually you think the best way to handle that assignment, that project, that person is according to your own agenda-but it is not. When you take your issue to the LORD-He shows you how to handle those issues. He told her, few things are needed-which is the opposite of what she was doing because she was worried about many things.

God shows you how to move smarter and faster.

And Mary chose the one thing-Him. And the LORD said it will not be taken from her.

In other words, Jesus was saying to Martha, and to you and me by extension-stop stressing about that person, position, and whatever preparation you are dealing with-focus on me and everything will fall into place.

He gives you peace and wisdom and direction: He provides you with solutions.

Its also interesting that Mary did not speak in this excerpt-when you are close to God, when you sit at His feet, you will find peace and discernment to handle your situation.

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