“There is only need for one thing.” In our society today, we have hectic schedules and are in constant pursuit of productivity. In fact, it has been said that people ascertain our worth by how busy we are, what we achieve and our ability to meet the expectations of others - a rather skewed way of living.
Many of us can identify with Martha and her anxiety, distraction and frustration at being pulled at from all sides. These are definitely common occurrences in our busy world. Yet, what do all this busyness and worry achieve?
Our intentions are good: to provide for our families, enrich the lives of our children and those we love, serve our friends and be involved in the church. We certainly need people like Martha in our society, in our churches.
We need to ask ourselves: “How much time am I left with to serve the Lord, to be in his presence, to listen to his word?” Even if we manage to carve out time to be still with the Lord, we are likely to be distracted, which leads to further anxiety. We are left feeling troubled, perhaps resentful of others and even devoid of joy and love.
Christian life entails being of service to others as well as receiving God’s word. In order to grow and serve others well, we need to be nourished. Spending time with God, reading and reflecting on his word, deepens our faith and draws us closer to God. This, in turn, enables us to be good servants.
Jesus invites us all to sit with him, hear his word and experience his love and grace, despite our worries and distractions. He invites us to put our trust in him, to bring our anxieties to him so that we may be renewed in faith and strengthened for service. The most important thing that Jesus, our guest, needs from us is the gift of our attention so that he may bless us with his gifts of
love and grace to serve others.
The “one thing” that Jesus is referring to in this passage is hearing the message that he brings. This is more important than providing for his physical needs.
How can you attend to this “one thing” today?
