Day 37 | Martha of Bethany

Read Luke 10:38-42

Martha lived in Bethany, a small suburb located at the foot of the Mt. of Olives about a mile and a half east of Jerusalem. She shared a house with her sister, Mary, and her brother, Lazarus. They were a Jewish family who were friends and followers of Jesus. The town of Bethany, and the home of Martha and her siblings, proved to be an important place of rest for Jesus away from the chaotic crowds and was only a short walk to Jerusalem.

On the day that Jesus and His disciples came to dine in Martha’s home, she quickly became overburdened by her duties as the hostess. Becoming cross with her sister, she spoke rather abruptly to the Lord: “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” In this brash statement, Martha implied that Jesus did not care about her, and she demanded that He force Mary to assist in the household chores. Distracted by her busyness, Martha took her eyes off Jesus and was missing the blessing of a lifetime. “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things, but only one thing is necessary…”

What stresses and worries distract you from precious time with Jesus? Life is busy. A million things vie for our attention, maybe more than ever before. But there will always be tasks to complete, chores to do, and business to tend to. Our earthly checklists are unending. Martha could only think about the things she had to do, and it took her focus off the only important thing. Looking into her soul, Jesus gently and lovingly reminded her that sitting at His feet and listening to His word is always the better choice. What do you need to do to ensure that you have quality time with Jesus every day?

Pray for 10 minutes