Quick... Your boss has told you that she is coming over to your home tomorrow to meet with you. What do you need to do over the next 24 hours?
What ever came to your mind, I'm sure there's a good chance it sounded a whole lot like this: "But Martha was distrated by all the preparations that had to be made (Luke 10:40)." There's a children's Bible I like a lot. It's a smiplified verison of the Bible, but in the case of the story of Mary and Martha welcoming Jesus in their home, it gives us a whole lot more detail. Maybe your preparations for your boss would look a bit like this. "Martha, on the other hand, was very busy. She didn't have time to sit down! She cooked - olives, fish bread. She cleaned - sweeping the dirt floor and shaking the mats. Martha worked to make Jesus' visit special."
After thinking about what you would need to do to prepare for your boss's visit, maybe your final conclusion might be: "I need to convince her to meet with me somewhere else."
In the text, Martha becomes of frustrated with Mary, she approaches Jesus to help her get Mary to help out. "Tell her to help me!" Jesus response is a lesson in priorties and compassion. With compassion in his heart Jesus knows Martha is struggling and opens her eyes to truth. "'Martha, Martha,' the Lord answered, 'you are worried and upset about may things, but few things are needed - or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her' (Luke 10:41-42)."
What is the one thing needed? What is preventing Martha from doing the one thing needed?
I can think of a lot of words here: stuff, pride, appearances, fairness, frustration, fear, things.
What is the one thing needed?
Living the Kingdom of God, living the spiritual reality we have been baptized into means making the one thing needed our priority in all things and in all our realtionships. We view the world through the lens of that one thing needed. We do our chores in light of the one thing needed.
On that day Mary chose what is better because her actions were centered on the one thing needed. She was free because of that one thing needed.
What is preventing you from living in the light of that one thing needed? Are you ready to place those discrations in their proper place in your life? Are you open to being released to live for Christ my making that one thing needed your number one priority? Are you ready to pray for the Holy Spirit to inspire you to center on that one thing needed? Can that one thing needed become a spiritual habit that becomes second nature... I mean... first nature?
When that day comes, you will be ready to welcome your boss today, tomorrow, and anytime. Mi casa es su casa when your life is defined by that one thing needed.
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