Imagine, dinner time, a house full of hungry people, and Martha’s to-do list is overwhelming. Mercy. “Fix it, Jesus!” We all see her fretting as her mind buzzes with the cultural expectations of women. This builds up to her being frustrated, maybe even embarrassed, by Mary’s behavior and she is left distracted, distraught, and distressed.
As Jesus is speaking Martha interrupts, “Fix it, Jesus!” Then she leans in further asking, “Don’t you care that my sister left me to do all the work by MYSELF?”
We know that Jesus loves Martha. He actually sees her and all women as valuable image-bearers of God. He knows that she is right according to custom, but, she’s not comprehending the lesson, “My beloved Martha, why are you so upset and troubled. Why are you pulled away by these many distractions?”
There, Jesus fixed it.
Jesus effectively flipped over Martha’s perfectly-set table adorned with the expectations and opinions of the crowd.
When we take into account traditional customs and norms of the day Mary SHOULD have been in synch with Martha. Indeed, culturally, she should have been helping. But, Mary went against the grain of the traditional. Consequently, she found herself drawn away from the pot she was stirring to stir up a revolutionary pot of devotion to Jesus.
She found the staple ingredient missing from the pantry in her soul and it was not tradition. It was Jesus.
Traditions keep us stuck in the expectations of others. But undistracted disciples shun the opinion of the crowd and focus on the One opinion that matters.
Undistracted
The word undistracted means: Able to concentrate fully on something.
Mary has discovered the one thing most important by choosing to sit at my feet.
She is undistracted, and I won’t take this privilege from her. Luke 10:42 TPT
This verse reveals that Mary found the one thing, Jesus, and she fully concentrated on Him.
Like her, we need to find the One thing. That’s the way we honor God. Jesus makes it clear that we must prioritize Him. He wants undistracted and focused disciples. Finally, Mary figured it out. She knows that dinner preparation can wait. Right now it’s vital that she focus on Christ. And for her to sit at the feet of Jesus is a position of discipleship.
What is important as disciples?
Listening. Learning. Loving.
Mary was engaged in something that women in her day didn’t do. Mary is radical, scandalous, and disrespectful of tradition, but Jesus validates her actions. Lovingly He refused to take Mary’s choice away from her. As a result, Jesus allowed her to listen, learn, and fall in love with the Word. His action set a new standard.
His rebuke of cultural expectations is life-changing. Thereby fixing the issue for women who want to seriously study the Word. Because culture should never take precedence over what’s biblical, Jesus made discipleship possible for women!
Let’s Reflect: What would it take for you to have undistracted time with Jesus? And how will you make that happen?
Let’s Pray: Jesus, as we cast our gaze toward You, we rejoice! As we seek to draw closer to You, we hear Your voice, and see Your smile, as You open Your arms to embrace us. We’re so grateful for that embrace. You alone are worthy of our undivided attention. May we sit at Your feet and marvel at Your teaching. May we sit in Your presence, listen, learn, and love Your word all the days of our lives. Fix it, Jesus! In Your name, we pray! Amen.