M
(Reminder: I’m doing an A to Z devotional)
Martha is frowned upon by a lot of people. After all, Jesus did kind of “put her in her place.” You may remember she’s the one who’s known as the “worry wart.”
She was the sister of Mary and Lazarus, and they lived near Jerusalem in a town called Bethany.
She was a personal friend of Jesus and is first mentioned in Luke 10 while hosting a dinner for Jesus. Her sister sat down to listen to Jesus teach, which totally ticked off Martha. Shouldn’t Mary be in the kitchen helping me prepare this meal for our important Guest? Martha thought.
As Martha continued preparation for burritos, home-made salsa and even sopapillas (can you tell I like Mexican food?), she grew more and more agitated . . . to the point she finally mentioned it to Jesus Himself.
“Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” (Luke 10:40 NIV)
Whoa! She’s barking out an order to the Creator of the universe.
She’s telling Jesus what to do!
No wonder Jesus responded in the next verse with, “Martha, Martha.” When someone says your name twice, it’s a pretty good clue, you need to pay attention. Martha was like the tea kettle about to explode right off her kitchen stove.
Jesus went on to say: “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what it better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41-42 NIV)
I like Martha because she’s obviously a detailed person. And we all need a few detailed people in our lives to keep those of us who are creative visionaries from spending all our time trying to create a car made out of tacos or an airplane that fills its tank with salsa.
But Jesus puts it all in perspective. He didn’t necessarily come to Mary, Lazarus and Martha’s home for dinner—he came to fellowship and minister to them.
Mary sat right at Jesus’ feet, listening intently to what her Savior had to say, while Martha was worried about over-cooking some enchiladas.
The most important thing we can ever do is simply spend time with Jesus and listen to what He has to say.
Mahershalalhashbaz is another M word in the Bible. He was the second mentioned prophetic-named child in Isaiah (chapters 8-9). His name means “Hurry to the spoils” which is much easier to say than his actual name.
What were his parents thinking?
Marshmallows are never mentioned in Scripture. But I can imagine Peter showing them to the other disciples for the first time:
“Gather around the campfire, dudes. You’re gonna love these. We’re making s’mores!”
Money is mentioned a lot in the Bible. The most important thing about it? Focus on giving God what’s rightfully His.
Be obedient in your tithing.
Be generous with your offerings.
Strive to be a disciple who gives extravagantly.
Love,
Susie
