Luke 10:38-42
Parties have been on my mind lately. Last weekend I helped to throw a birthday party for my niece, this week there were two birthday celebrations at work and tonight I’m having a few friends over for a dinner party. That being said, I cannot get Luke’s words out of my head:
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42)
I am much more of a Martha than a Mary. Dinner parties, lesson planning for my classes, birthdays, vacations…. I busy myself with little distractions, oftentimes to the detriment of my enjoyment of the “event” itself. When I think about the kind of party I would like to throw if Jesus was in my neighborhood for the evening, I immediately begin making lists:
1) Homemade snacks of all kinds
2) Cake fit for a King
3) Extravagantly long guest list
4) Party games? Which ones? (Is Jesus more of a Taboo buff or Scattergories nut?)
5) Clever music (I’m thinking of a catchy i-tunes mix with the first song being Chicago’s
“You’re the Inspiration.” Would He get it?)
In the midst of my planning for this fictional, overly ambitious dinner party I am reminded of Jesus’ reminder to Martha, “Stop being worried about so many things and just enjoy the moment!” This week I am going to take a cue from Mary: worry less, busy myself less and live more in the moment. I suspect this just might make the presence of Christ all the more clear to me in the classroom, in my conversations with friends, and during the dinner party that is happening in t-minus one hour. I’ll keep you posted on my “less is more efforts!”


