April 4, 2025

WORSHIP AND WORK

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Luke 10:38-42 NLT

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TODAY’S THOUGHT

Today we look at the introduction of Mary and Martha into the life and ministry of Jesus. Later we will encounter them again when their brother, Lazarus gets sick and dies.

This appears to be the first introduction of the two sisters to the ministry of Jesus. Martha welcomes Jesus and the disciples into her home and immediately begins working on a dinner to feed all the guests.

Mary chooses to just sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to everything He says. This eventually upsets Martha because she see Mary as being lazy and not helping get things ready. Martha’s request to Jesus could have multiple indications. Perhaps she wanted Jesus to realize how much she was working compared to her “lazy” sister. Perhaps she also wanted Jesus to reprimand her sister so that she would help with the preparations.

The response of Jesus is a classic, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

We see the contrast between “workers” and “worshippers.” Often people look at this passage and criticize Martha for being a worker. She was obviously a type A personality that wanted things to get done and people fed. 

We need workers or everyone would go hungry. It is not an either-or situation. I believe God wants us to be workers and worshippers. Our work for God should flow out of our time with God. 

If everyone is a worshipper only then no one gets fed, the gospel doesn’t go forward, and our relationship with God becomes all about what I get and feel.

We need to begin with spending time with God, then we can do work for God. Sometimes we get the order messed up and our work has the wrong motivation. 

I believe Jesus wants us to imitate Mary in our worship and Martha in our work. He wants us to have a balanced life. 

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TODAY’S PRAYER

Holy Spirit help me to make spending time with You a priority in my life. Help me to learn to “sit at Your feet.” Help me also to know when to get to work for Your kingdom. 

“Scroll down to share what you feel God is saying based on today’s reading.”