She had started planning the minute she saw them headed toward her house. This was going to be one epic dinner! Every single one of her cooking skills would be engaged. The lamb would be moist and perfectly seasoned. The vegetables would be expertly roasted. The bread would be marvellously crunchy on the outside, yet exquisitely tender on the inside. Wine would flow. Conversation would be easy. Laughter would resound. The entire experience would be a triumph! As long as everything went according to her plan.
Nothing was turning out as Martha planned. When it was time to prepare the feast, she found herself in the kitchen alone. A pile of vegetables needed peeled and diced. The lamb needed slicing, seasoning, and cooking. The flour and yeast that would become bread rested helplessly on the counter. She would need another set of hands to pull this off. Usually, she had another set. Extra hands. Helping hands. Mary’s hands. Her sister would normally be right there beside her, working in tandem, precipitating the next necessity. Not today. Today, of all days, Mary chose to go rogue. She was nowhere to be found. Not peeling vegetables. Not kneading bread. Not setting the table. Mary was well and truly missing.
Martha didn’t have time for this. She didn’t have time to go searching for a grown woman who knew where she should be and what she should be doing. This was ridiculous! Without Mary’s help, the kitchen had turned into a one-woman circus. Slicing mutton. Dicing vegetables. Kneading bread. Roasting, basting, stirring, baking. Martha badly needed a third hand. Or her sister. Mary could make an appearance at any moment. It wouldn’t upset Martha one little bit. She could overlook her tardiness, forgive her abandonment. She just needed Mary to get in the kitchen. Now. This entire meal could fall apart if just one task was left undone, one pot was stirred too late, one vegetable was overcooked, one pan stayed over the hottest spot of the fire too long. Yet here she was, alone. Feverishly working to create a meal worthy of the occasion.
Heaving a frustrated sigh, Martha quickly checked to ensure all the pots were over the right heat, tossed her dish towel over her shoulder, and marched out to look for Mary. She surely wouldn’t have gone far. Not when they had company. Maybe she had just gotten caught up in conversation with one of the disciples and lost track of time. Maybe she didn’t realize Martha was already cooking. Maybe she had gone to make sure there was enough space for everyone to fit in the front room. It really didn’t matter where she was or why she was there. A pointed look from her bossy sister would get her sorted. If Martha could only find her.
Following the sound of Jesus’ voice to the front of the house, Martha found Him surrounded by His disciples. They were hanging on His every word. No one was asking questions. They were just sitting there. Sponges. Soaking up every word that came from His mouth. She wished she could be there, too, but duty called. She couldn’t afford the distraction. She had people to feed. And she needed help. Glancing around from the back of the room, she searched for Mary. No luck. The space was full, indicating they had added a few people since Jesus arrived. She couldn’t see over some people or around others. Edging her way around to the front of the group, Martha stopped in her tracks at what she saw. Her jaw went slack, then tightened in irritation. That was Mary! Front and center! Right at Jesus’ feet. Listening. Learning. Soaking in His presence. Deeply distracted by her desire to be in His presence, Mary had forgotten her place. Forgotten her duty as hostess. Forgotten that her sister was doing all the work and could absolutely use some help.
She hadn’t intended for it to happen that way. Caught up in the words of Jesus, Mary meant only to stay for a few minutes before heading off to help Martha. The time had passed without her realizing. Now she didn’t want to leave. Couldn’t make herself get up and go. She was enthralled by His teaching. Enamored by His words. Utterly distracted from the mundane cares of earthly living by the heavenly lessons Jesus spoke. Her heart raced with excitement as she learned more and more. Her soul hungered and thirsted to hear His words. There were a dozen places she could be, one specific place she should be, but only one place she wanted to be. Right there. At Jesus’ feet.
Pushing her way to the front of the group, Martha took her issue to the Authority. She wasn’t having this. Reaching Jesus’ side, she issued a rebuke in the form of a question, “Don’t you think Mary should be helping me? She’s just lollygagging around listening to your stories. I’d love to do that too, but it doesn’t cook the food! She needs to do her share of the work! Tell her to get moving and come help me!” Regarding Martha with compassion, hearing her viewpoint, reading her heart, Jesus spoke. Not about Mary. Not really. About Martha. She was distracted, too. She was swamped in dinner details and entertaining minutiae. She was worried about putting on a grand feast when everyone would have been pleased with broiled fish and bread. Everyone else was distracted by Jesus. Martha was distracted by work. (Luke 10:38-42)
Mary had the right of things. Her distraction was good and right. Jesus wouldn’t be stopping by forever. No one would remember the food Martha prepared that day once Jesus had gone back to Heaven. But they would always remember the words He spoke. Those lessons would be burned into their hearts. They would be guiding lights to their souls. When the darkness of the world tried to suffocate them, those words would give them hope. When the seasons of life were hard and heavy, those words would give them strength. When their minds were unsettled and distracted by the daily cares of living, working, and surviving, those words would resound in their ears, bringing them peace. When they had questions, worries, and concerns, the lessons and parables Jesus spoke that day would guard their hearts and minds, keeping them focused on what truly matters. If there was ever a time for them to be distracted from chores and duties by someone or something, this was it. This was the day. This was the moment. Jesus was there. The Way of Truth. For life. (John 8:12; 14:6; Psalm 33:20-22; 46:1; Ephesians 2:14; Philippians 4:7)
Distracted by the duties and details of her everyday life, Martha spiralled out of control in frustration and irritation when her sister was distracted by Jesus. She didn’t see the similarity. She didn’t notice they were both distracted. Her by the world. Mary by Heaven. She didn’t understand how each distraction would impact their souls. If Martha’s earthly distractions continued to pull her from Jesus, her soul would dry and shrivel. Her faith would shrink. Her heart would harden. When life got difficult, despair could easily find a place to lodge. Not so for Mary. Her continued distraction with Jesus would strengthen her soul. His peace and presence would surround her. The storms of life might give her pause, but they wouldn’t sink her ship. Her faith would be solidly grounded in the safety of a relationship with Jesus Christ. It didn’t mean she wouldn’t help with the cooking anymore. It meant that, although her hands were busy with earthly things, her heart and mind would be on Jesus. We should all be so distracted.
You see, being like Martha is easy. Surrounded as we are by a constant barrage of distractions, it is so easy to be drawn aside by the ones that matter least. The brightest colors flashing across our screens. The loudest pings from our cell phones. The biggest promises from advertisements, associates, employers. We get so busy chasing the proverbial rabbit that we lose sight of what really matters. Relationship with God. Peace in our hearts. Holiness in our souls. It’s not the zeroes on your paycheck, the corner office, the title, or the sports car that matters. Those are just distractions. Things that draw our hearts, minds, and energy away from following God. Chasing Him down. They make us spend less time in His presence, make His voice less audible to our ears. Putting on a show, making a name for ourselves, building our brand, and broadening our reputation all distract and detract from Jesus. They pull us away from God and numb our spirits to His leading. When everything earthly becomes more important than anything heavenly, you need to pump the brakes, my friend. The greatest detriment to your soul is distraction with earth when you should be focused on Heaven. (Proverbs 4:23-27; I Corinthians 7:35; Mark 4:19; Colossians 3:2; I John 2:15-17)
That is where Mary was. Where we should be. Completely distracted by Jesus. Entranced by His presence. Enthralled by His teaching. Empowered by His words. We should be sitting at His feet, listening to His voice, learning His ways, leaning in to the lessons He teaches. It doesn’t mean we shirk our duties, leave work undone, the house a mess, the kids unfed. We don’t blow off meetings at work, turn up late, or renege on responsibilities. It means that, even in the hustle and bustle and busyness of all the things our lives entail, our hearts and minds are tuned to Jesus. We constantly listen for His voice. We consistently look for His leading. It means our first response to every opportunity is to seek His guidance. It means we don’t take a step if it requires letting go of His hand. It means we take time every day to distance ourselves from the distractions of earth and immerse ourselves in the distractions of eternity. It means we remember that our heavenly calling is infinitely more important than anything we do on earth. It means that we know in our hearts and believe in our heads that the greatest thing we can ever be is distracted. With Jesus. (Psalm 32:8; 42:1-2; 63:8; Matthew 5:6; Jeremiah 29:13; I Chronicles 16:11; James 4:8; Romans 8:5-6; Ecclesiastes 9:10)
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