A Visit at Martha's House, part 4

But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me." (Luke 10:40 NASB)

Jesus was a welcome visitor in Martha's home, but Mary was the one sitting at His feet, soaking in every word He spoke. Martha was busy with meal preparation and, in her busyness, had grown frustrated with the amount of work she was doing without assistance. Of course, the work would have gone faster with an extra set of hands, but Martha had not stopped to consider whether all her work and preparations were necessary or whether they were what the Lord desired. In fact, as we will soon see, they were not.

The word translated as "distracted" is perispaō and literally means to be "over-occupied", to "drag around", "to be driven about mentally". In essence, Martha was so busy with the work she had decided to do that it was like a weight, dragging her around. It was heavy and burdensome. The weight of her burden of busy had robbed her of the joy of service and, as a result, she had become resentful of her sister and the time she spent at the feet of Jesus. 

In fact, the time Jesus had left on earth was short. If time was to be spent at the feet of Jesus, it needed to be done, for further opportunities to do so would be scarce. Martha, had she known, might not have spent that limited time with meal preparations. Perhaps she, too, would have been at the feet of Jesus. 

There is, of course, no way to know how much time we, or our loved ones, have left on this earth, but it is imperative that we spend whatever time we have wisely. Although the tasks we accomplish in our busyness may be useful, are they what Jesus would most desire? Is the outcome a closer relationship with Him, or frustration and irritation with those around us who love Him more?

As we plan the activities of our day, let's be sure that we make time with Christ our priority, and that our activities are ones that would most please Him. Live well and love well, for time is short. May we live so that, no matter what comes, there will be no cause for regret.