Articles
Don't Worry, Choose What is Necessary
One of the works of the church that we have here is our podcast “That you may grow thereby.” We have recently studied about an interaction that Jesus had with two ladies that offers us a lot to learn from and we’ll look at some of that in this article. In Luke 10:38-42, Jesus is travelling and enters a vil-lage where a woman by the name of Martha welcomes Jesus into her home. Martha has a sister named Mary and, in this instance, they have two very different priorities. Mary was seated at our Lord and Savior’s feet, listening to His words. Martha was as verse 40 will say “…distracted with all her preparations.” Mar-tha certainly notices that Mary isn’t helping her by saying to Jesus “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do the serving by myself? Then tell her to help me.” Martha was not pleased that Mary wasn’t helping her in the preparations and sought for Jesus to tell Mary she needed to help her sister. As always, the response of our great God is just awesome and worthy of consideration and application. Jesus says in verses 41 and 42, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and dis-tracted by many things; but only one thing is necessary; for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” Instead of telling Mary to go help Mar-tha, rather Jesus says that Mary has chosen the good part! Martha wasn’t doing anything inherently sinful, after all she was preparing and serving. However, Martha hadn’t chosen the necessary thing, the good part that being Jesus.
I’m struck by Jesus telling Martha that she is worried and distracted by so many things. I know that many, including myself, can certainly relate to Martha here - that phrase could be said to many of us. It would be like (Insert your name here) - you are wor-ried and distracted by many things. Worry or anxiety is something that almost if not everyone faces to varying degrees. Martha was worried and distracted by trying to get things done, just like we are in many cases. We have very busy days and a lot to attend to. There are going to be some things that are bound to be overlooked. What can’t be overlooked though is what is necessary, what Mary chose. Jesus cannot be overlooked and must be the priority in our lives. Jesus was the priority for Mary. Again, Martha wasn’t looking to do something that God defines as sinful, like lying or stealing, she was making preparations and serving. What she wasn’t doing that was right though, was focusing on Jesus first and foremost. How often do we let our worries and distractions stop us from focusing on Je-sus, from not overlooking Him? What’s the way to combat this? To keep in mind what Jesus says to Martha about Mary in verse 42, and what the Word, which He inspired (2nd Timothy 3:16-17), says in other places.
Let’s remember that Jesus is necessary. Jesus says that there is only one thing that is necessary which is what Mary was doing - listening to the word of Jesus. Do we look at Jesus as the one necessary thing in our lives? In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus teaches about anxieties and worries. He tells us not to be worried about what to eat or drink nor what clothes to wear. Jesus provides exam-ples that the birds of the sky don’t work or make preparations for their food, and yet our heavenly Father feeds them. As Jesus says, “Are you not much more important than they?” Jesus asks in verse
27 if worrying can add a single day to a person’s life. Jesus doesn’t an-swer the question because that’s one we can answer with ease, being no, worrying doesn’t add a single day to someone’s life span! Jesus uses another example of the lilies in the field. They grow and don’t work and yet even the extremely wealthy king Solomon couldn’t clothe himself like these flowers. If God clothes the grass which is here today and gone tomorrow, He will take care of you and me! There is more that Jesus talks about here, but I want to jump down to verse 33 which mirrors the story of Martha and Mary very well. Jesus says, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you.” We like Martha, can be worried about many things. We also can and should strive to be like Mary, who was sought Jesus first. Seeking Jesus first takes care of everything else and that’s not me coming up with that, that’s what Jesus is saying in verse 33. We can constantly worry, or we can put Jesus first, which is going to take care of everything.
When we face worries, we can choose to put them first and focus on them or give them to Jesus and focus on Him. In Philippians 4:6-7, that’s what is talked about - Don’t be anxious, but rather give it to Him, plead with thanksgiving to Him in prayer. When that is done, we will have peace, not peace that the world offers, but the peace of God which is greater than all human understanding. Peace that guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. We can have the comfort of knowing that the worry that is troubling us has been given to the One who cre-ated all good things, including the paper or the parts used to make the electronic device you’re reading this on. He can take my worries and your worries if we just give them to Him.
What a blessing it is to not have to worry!! It isn’t necessary to worry, but what is necessary is our Jesus! Choosing Jesus over all things was-n’t taken away from Mary and it won’t be taken away from us as well.
