Sibling's Rivalry (Luke 10:38-42)

 

Sibling’s Rivalry (Luke 10:38-42)

Attention

We all seek it whether it be from parents or peers and even from our own boss.  We are natural boasters.  There is a mature way to seek attention and a bad way.  Even from God, many people in the Church seek it by works or duties and its all by grace.  We get ourselves so windup for glory and then fall on our faces in defeat because we have missed the mark.  That is the actual meaning of sin: missing the mark.  Life could be a lot simpler if we well! Focused.

Martha and Mary

You can see that these two, with Jesus in their home were competing for attention from the Lord.  After all, it’s not every day you have Jesus sitting at your table and yet we do in our own way have him with us.  Only this time he was there physically.  I could have pictured Martha being busy and noisy with pots and pans saying to herself or out loud, “Look at me Jesus, I am here cooking you a meal, am I not special?” But Jesus calmly enjoyed his time teaching with Mary and his disciples. Martha even said to Jesus, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”  We even go as far as putting a guilt trip on the person who listens in quietness to the Lord (Isaiah 40:31) “They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength…” Jesus’s response to Martha was: “You worry about many things.”  You as well need, first, to put some time aside for the Lord.  You have blocked him out long enough.  You need to listen to him first and foremost.  Contrary to what most people think, busyness does not show any dedication to a cause.  We must dedicate ourselves to think and pause before we act.

“…but the prudent gives thought to their ways” (Proverbs 14:15)

 Mary had disciplined herself in a mature way not to seek attention but give attention to the Lord and in return she was rewarded with praise from the Lord.  The Lord wants your attention for something, give it to him and you will be rewarded. (Luke 10:42)