To love or to serve?
I can see it now.....
The scene opens on a typical hot day in the middle east. Travelers in the area were trying to get to their destinations before the heat of the day.
Mary Martha and Lazarus were expecting a large group of guests to visit their home. Mary was getting ready and Martha was in the kitchen preparing the meal.
Mary hears them coming and runs to the door to let them in. They are early! Wonderful!! Here was the one whom she loved.
His eyes told the whole story, there in their depths she could see an eternity of compassion. Every time she was near him her eyes would tear up and her heart felt as if it would burst.
All she could do was open the door and motion for them to enter, smiling and happy.
Jesus came in, dusty and dirty from the road, beads of sweat on his forehead. He was tired and thirsty but he was happy to be in the home of friends where he could relax. He takes a seat and Mary comes to sit near him as the others find a place to get comfortable. Everyone was talking and moving around the room getting settled. They were not celebrity, just a group of men who followed Jesus as Mary herself longed to do. What a joy to have them all here. Mary is happily content just to be in his presence.
Suddenly Martha bursts into the room, covered in flour, mind whirling, arms loaded down with serving glasses and dishes, even a cloth to cover the table held in her mouth. Where is her sister she wonders? I need some help here! She looks around and is aghast. They are here already, oh NO, they’re early! The house is not clean, the food not ready, and she looked a mess! She puts down her things and tries to tidy the table a bit before hurrying back into the kitchen to get the food. She stops to survey the room. The pillows not fluffed, floor not swept, OH she thinks, I wanted it to be so nice! As she is making a mental list of all that still needed to be done her eyes came to Mary sitting at Jesus feet soaking in his presence. Martha is thinking, ‘she seemed to be completely unaware of the situation! ‘ Anger and resentment started to well up inside her. How could she leave me to do everything, just look at this place, nothing is ready!!! She looks to Jesus and starts to complain that her sister is not helping her. “Jesus look at all that I have left to do, don’t you care that Mary is not helping me?” “Do something!”
Jesus is not unaware of this sequence of the split second thoughts that are going through Martha’s mind and heart. He knows that she only wants to do her best for him. How precious is this woman. He says ‘Martha’. But she is so distracted by what she sees as a mounting list of things that she still has to do... in her mind prioritizing and eliminating plans.......
‘Martha’ he says again. And as she turns to him realizing he is talking to her, she sees a sparkle in his eyes.
He is amused at her concern with these insignificant things. ‘You are so distracted Martha, and over such trivial things. Mary has chosen to be with me.’
Relax! Everything is fine just as it is, don’t make such a fuss. I love you and I’m here to be with you. You don’t have to impress me. Jesus again with that twinkle in his eyes and a big smile, reaches out and touches her arm reassuring her that all is well.
And with that Martha who loves him deeply, feels a wave of relief come over her. Of course – we’re not putting on a party, we’re just having friends over. How wonderful that he can overlook what others would find offensive and look down on with disdain. He has such a way of putting everyone at ease. Yes, He is right, we just want to have a meal together and enjoy each other’s company. OK. I’ll get the veggies!
This is how I picture that day. Jesus did not rebuke Martha as we’ve been led to believe. She was distracted, her mind in a whirl and I think it amused him. He had to call her name twice to get her attention! Hahaha! Bless her heart. We’ve all been there, so wound up in ‘serving’ that we forget the point of being with Jesus. He just wants us to connect with him personally, spend time with him, not spend our time simply working for him. He wants us to get to know the real him, and to share our lives with him, just as we are. How wonderful that we need not pretend or cover up anything with him. Yes, I want to just sit at his feet too. Not because what he is saying is so deep and spiritual! But because of the way his eyes hold me captive. The depth of love there is beyond expression. It’s truth and love and wonderful compassion that comes from a place too vast to imagine. That is the Jesus I love.
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