I was reflecting tonight about the story of Mary and Martha fighting and the purpose of it being included in Scripture. After all, it sounds kind of lame. Two sisters fight. Big deal! How is that news? Well, actually, it was all Martha. Mary probably didn't even realize how Martha felt at the time.
Jesus visited Martha's house unexpectedly. As a good host, Martha felt she needed to prepare dinner. Her sister, Mary, was at Martha's house too. But, Mary was hanging out with Jesus and His disciples instead of helping Martha prepare the meal. And, Martha was irritated.
While Mary was in the living room singing, "All I want for Christmas is You," to Jesus, Martha was banging pots and pans loudly in the kitchen and belting out her own version of "Mary Got Run Over By A Chariot." She was angry, and rightfully so in her perspective. After all, it wasn't fair that Mary got to hang out with Jesus and His buddies while Martha did all the work. This was her house, and they had all dropped over unannounced. Not only was her day interrupted, but she also now had to stop everything she was doing to prepare a meal large enough to feed all the men.
So, Martha stomped her way into the living room and demanded that Jesus tell Mary to come help her. Martha had a script in her mind about how that conversation would play out. Surely, Jesus and His buddies wanted to eat. It was going to take longer for that to happen if Mary didn't help. Of course, Jesus would take her side and tell Mary to go do what was important. Martha expected Jesus to do what she wanted because it made sense. If they wanted to eat, Mary needed to help!
But, Jesus didn't follow her script. In fact, He had the nerve to tell her that Mary had discovered what was most important - spending time with Him. Jesus didn't rebuke Martha's actions. She was trying to be a responsible host to these unexpected guests. Rather, He rebuked her attitude. Martha wasn't graciously preparing the meal with a willing heart to serve. She was jealous of her sister and focused on control. If Martha would have thought about it, the Messiah was in her home! Jesus could have made food appear if He was that concerned about it.
This story about the rivalry Martha felt with her sister is relatable. It is easy to get distracted by the details of life and focus on what is not important in the long run. Like Martha, we write our scripts and expect Jesus to follow them. When Jesus doesn't follow our script, we feel discouraged and interpret the fact that He is not doing what we want Him to do as that He doesn't care. The truth, however, is that Jesus has His own script which is way better than the ones we write.
Jesus wants our attention. He wants us to realize that spending time with Him is more important than all the things we can't control or all the things we need to accomplish. In the midst of a busy shopping season, festive activities, wrapping presents, and preparing meals for guests, don't miss what is truly important. Be a blessing to Jesus this Christmas! Give the best gift you can back to Jesus - your time.