IS IT LAZINESS, OR MATURITY?

Luke 10:38-42

Luk 10:38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him as a guest.
Luk 10:39 She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he said.
Luk 10:40 But Martha was distracted with all the preparations she had to make, so she came up to him and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the work alone? Tell her to help me.”
Luk 10:41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and stressed over many things,
Luk 10:42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the best part; it will not be taken away from her.”

the distraction of ministry

Martha wasn’t wrong to value service. She wasn’t wrong to want the meal prepared, the house in order, the details handled. In many ways, she was doing what any responsible host would do—especially when the guest was Jesus Himself. But in her frustration, she misread the moment. She assumed Mary was being selfish, shirking duty, leaving her with all the work. What she couldn’t see was that Mary had made a profoundly mature choice. The Lord of life was in her home. The One the prophets longed to see was sitting in her living room. The Word made flesh was speaking. Mary refused to miss it.

Jesus gently affirmed her choice. Not because service is unimportant, but because presence is more important. There will always be meals to prepare, tasks to complete, ministries to run, responsibilities to shoulder. But there are moments—holy, quiet, irreplaceable moments—when Christ invites us simply to sit, to listen, to be with Him. Mary recognized that moment. Martha missed it because she was doing good things at the wrong time.

And that is the challenge for us. Our lives fill quickly with good things—work, ministry, service, commitments, even noble responsibilities. But good things can still crowd out the best thing. Even ministry can become a distraction if it keeps us from the One we claim to serve. What we are committed to is revealed not by our intentions, but by our time. If we never slow down long enough to sit at Jesus’ feet, we may find ourselves working for Him without ever knowing Him.

So we pray:
LORD, keep us from working so hard for You that we have no time to get to know You.