In the story of Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38-42), the hostess Martha is occupied with caring for her guests while Mary occupies herself listening to Jesus. This story reminds us that sometimes we prioritize activities like playing sports, hanging out with friends, or spending time on social media, and fail to appropriately prioritize being close to God. It is like when we are so busy with our chores that we forget to spend authentic time with the people we care about. We need to remember to be true to ourselves and God, just like Mary did by authentically focusing on Jesus’ teaching.
Many of us can relate to Martha's situation. Sometimes, we fail to fully grasp the extent of God's grace, believing we have to do many things to be good enough, especially when it comes to our faith. But Jesus does not scold Martha for being busy. Instead, he kindly asks her to take a break and spend authentic time with him, just like Mary did. In teens’ language, Jesus might say, "Hey Martha, it's awesome that you're doing all this stuff, but don't forget to take a breather and spend some quality time with me, like Mary here." This shows that Jesus values our real selves and wants us to have an authentic relationship with him.
The story teaches us that we should find a balance between fulfilling various tasks and spending authentic, quiet time with God. It is important to help others, but it is also important to take authentic moments to pray and think about our faith. By finding this balance, we can grow closer to God and have a more authentic relationship.
- Rev. Dr. Niveen Ibrahim Sarras, Ph.D, St. Mark’s Lutheran Church - Neenah
