In this modern age, many gadgets exist that shorten the time phase in every sphere of our work life. Every day new innovations are coming up to make the older ones obsolete. This has changed our work culture tremendously. In spite of these boons, we are busier than ever and are not able to find time to look after our own family matters.

Moreover, giving time to meditate the Living Word of God is diminishing and people depend on Pastors and God’s servants to derive knowledge of the Word. As our personal involvement with God is missing, we are slowly distancing ourselves from God.  This creates a vacuum in the life of humans and leads to a state of depression and even suicidal tendencies. To overcome this commotion, Luke had captured the visitation of Jesus into a family and brings out the reason for this commotion and helps us to eradicate the commotion from our day to day life.

In Luke 10:38-42, Luke writes about a dramatic experience of a woman who invited Jesus into her house. The scene starts off with Jesus walking in a street, when a woman named Martha invited him into her house. The author introduces one more character, Mary, to us as the sister of Martha. Once Jesus entered into their house, the sisters had different interpretation of how to serve their Guest. Martha, the one who invited Jesus, was juggling with so many thoughts but at the same time, Mary was settled at the feet of Jesus with overflowing peace in her heart.

When Jesus enters, the situation becomes so tumultuous either with enormous peace or with massive pressure with the same attributes. The situation is common for both the women here but the response is entirely different. Jesus is available there for both of them but their perspectives are totally different. Even in our lives, the perspective with which we approach Jesus is crucial.

Martha was trying to satisfy Jesus with all her culinary skills but Jesus never asked her to do so.  Even in our home gatherings, this has become a powerful tool in the hands of Satan to distort the dissemination of the deepest meaning of the Living Word. Basing on the life of Martha and Mary, I interacted with some people who even blamed Jesus as an unjust guest as He did not instruct Mary to help Martha. Martha’s complaint is so real and genuine to many of us, as we are tormenting ourselves with what is unwanted or unworthy in the sight of God.

“If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine and all that is in it.” – Psalms 50:12

Here, the argument of Martha’s supporters is that, yes we do agree with this verse but what about the people who are thronging our house. We cannot send them back without feeding them. Even Jesus fed the 4000 men along with their wives and children when they thronged around Him to listen the word of God.

But they were hungry as they were listening to Jesus for three consecutive days and they did not have any vehicle to reach their home quickly. According to Jesus’ disciples there were no means to get anything to appease their hunger but for us this is usually not the case. Moreover, in the mind of Jesus, the concept of food is to fulfill the will of his Father.

“My Food, said Jesus, is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work” – John 4:34

If our home groups gather to fulfill the will of our God, then Martha may lose her supporters. Jesus would have entered Martha’s house to give His peace but trivial matters mounted upon Martha’s head and she missed it. When we were children, we cried vehemently if our balloon got burst but now it won’t matter.

In the presence of Jesus, Martha envied her sister. It was not the case that she alone was working but what was really bothering Martha was that her sister was sitting idle. For many of us being still at the feet of Jesus seems as an idle and boring act. While we are calming our mind and body at the feet of Jesus, something marvellous will happen in our soul. You can sense a fire warming your soul because the word of God is active and living.

“For the word of God is alive and active.  Sharper than the double edged sword.  It penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow.  It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” – Hebrew 4:12

The workload of this world penetrates through our spirit and makes our soul weary. Only the word of God is a dividing factor. It calms our thoughts and in turn changes our attitudes.

Are we giving time for the Living word? Are we allowing the Word to accomplish its purpose in our life?

Let us evaluate our thoughts and realise that if someone is walking with God in a different way than what we are accustomed to, there is no need to exile them from our lives.  If we are doing so, we are eliminating the plan of God from our lives. The Living Word has multiple dimensions and varies as the Spirit leads different people.

Jesus said to Martha, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

May God help us choose that portion which Mary had chosen.