Verse of the Day 4/7

Through the Bible - Ruth 1-2, Luke 12:4-34

 

Good morning,

In yesterday's devotional Solomon had been involved with and paid attention to all the details as the temple was being constructed.  But God spoke to him after it's completion about what was really important for His people, paying attention with their hearts humbling themselves,  praying and seeking His face, and turn from their own ways.

For today's verse we'll go to Luke 10 to the account where Jesus visits Martha's home.  Martha had been caught up in the details of preparing a meal for her special guest while her sister Mary sat at Jesus feet, listening and learning.

Luke 10:41 And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.  42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."   NKJV
How many of us are the same way?  So focused on the task at hand that we lose sight of what is truly important, those opportunities to learn from Jesus in close settings.

In his commentary Henry Wansbrough writes, "In Christian tradition the two sisters have become the symbols of the contemplative and active life, the lives centered respectively on prayer and translating prayer into action.  This builds on the assumption that the parable is contrasting two ways of prayer, it would be more accurate to see it as contrasting two ways of attentiveness.   Luke does not suggest that Martha's service is wrong.  To begin with he uses the same for service that used for the service of the seven who are appointed to serve the poor of the faithful in the early community ideally described in Acts.  Furthermore,  when the Greek literally has 'Mary has chosen the good part', this does not imply that Martha's part is bad.  It is simply that comparatives (better, worse, etc.) are rare in the Gospel Greek.  Jesus language was stark and uncompromising."

 

You can apply this thought of attentiveness also to the parable of the Good Samaritan earlier in the chapter.  The priest in that parable was on his way to the temple for service, so focused on that and the need to keep clean that  he passed by on the other side of the road, avoiding the possibility of becoming "unclean" but being inattentive to the things of the heart, mercy and compassion.  The despised Samaritan chose the better option, turning aside from his own way, and in that case helped the man in need.

 

What kind of attentiveness to we show in our lives?  Is there a balance?s

Blessings,
Mike

mikevw@bellsouth.net
mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Luke 10:38-11:1

Mary and Martha Worship and Serve

38 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. 40 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."

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