Most of us can identify with Martha of Bethany at one time or another--hardworking, efficient, aware of others' needs, skilled, a doer of things that need doing and thus always busy and, oh yes, complaining.
The Marys, all of them--Mary Magdalen, Mary of Bethany, and the virgin mother of Christ--were lovers. All of them. They had "the better part."
We know we are supposed to be more like Mary but somehow we just, well, can't.
Why not?
Because Martha is just so NECESSARY.
Dishes need doing.
Babies need feeding.
Lawns need mowing.
Who is going to do it all if all we do is hang out with God and love Him all the time?
I've decided that even Mary can mow the lawn.
What separated these Marys from Martha was not what they did, it was their attitude.
A Martha knows her Bible verses. She goes to church. She attends Bible studies. She helps folks in need. She cleans the church and bakes pies for socials.
Martha marches to God's cadence. And God loves her for it.
But Mary allows herself to be drawn into His arms and loses herself there--not forever, not so the beds never get made, but for the sheer joy of these times of communion.
She does not give up one for the sake of the other. She has found her beloved and intends to enjoy Him.
They hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.--Luke 2:16-19
Don't let the tenderness of moments with Christ escape you.
As Marthas, we only begin our life with Christ.
As Marys, we find its depth.
I echo what Pamela said...great post
ReplyDelete. . . and they were all named after Moses' sister Miriam (Hebrew for Mary, which is Aramaic), perhaps the most popular Jewish heroine. . . :-)
ReplyDeleteOoo...yes, yes! I forgot about this!. Thanks!
DeleteGood way to describe it. I KNOW I'm more prone to being a "Martha"... buried in responsibility ... but sometimes I am also prone to Mary now... using as much time as possible to worship and praise my Lord. So, it's still a mix, but my goal is to have more and more of Him in my life. [My house, yard, car, etc., will all fall away in time... but I will be in heaven forever. It would be a good thing to concentrate on my Heavenly Father that I'll be with and nothing will ever break through that.]
ReplyDeleteGood reminder.
All true, Caryjo, and I completely sympathize. It may help you, as it did me, to remember that Mary still had to do some of the 'Martha' stuff, but it sounds like she did it keeping Christ front and center. That's what I'm trying to do...praise God and mow the lawn...
DeleteLove this thought! I am so prone to being a Martha all the time - and I forget how important it is to have a some Mary time of being drawn into and lost in His presence. Thank you for the reminder. And that picture makes me smile! I should wear my rubber boots when I mow the lawn :)
ReplyDeleteI know! Isn't she a scream? But that's part of the point, I guess. At bottom, I think Martha wanted to work her way into Christ's presence. Mary knew that all she had to do was go there.
DeleteWow that was so good!! Love it...♥
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post! Thanks for the perspective and for linking up at Motivating Monday on CEO of Me too!
ReplyDeleteYour thought-provoking post reminds me of the fact that we are human BEINGS, not human DOINGS. May we take time every day to sit at the feet of our beloved Savior. I visited from Be Not Weary today, and I"m glad I did :)
ReplyDeleteHi! I found you through Women Living Well! I'm your newest follower and look forward to connecting with you!
ReplyDeleteChristie
http://satisfactionthroughchrist.blogspot.com
Love those flowered boots!!!
ReplyDeleteSeriously....being a Martha is a challenge. I do know that God is good at redeeming the time we spend with him. I'm trying to put more emphasis there these days.