WORSHIP BEGINS WITH SILENCE AND LISTENING

As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem they came to a village where a woman named Martha welcomed them into her home. Her sister Mary sat on the floor, listening to Jesus as He talked. But Martha was the jittery type, and was worrying over the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, "Sir, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me." But the Lord said to her, "Martha, dear friend, you are so upset over all these details! There is really only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it - and I won’t take it away from her!" (Luke 10:38-41 Life Application Bible). Many older brothers and sisters have an irritating tendency to take charge, a habit developed while growing up. We can easily see this pattern in Martha, the older sister of Mary and Lazarus. She was used to being in control. The fact that Martha, Mary and Lazarus are remembered for their hospitality takes on added significance when we note that hospitality was a social requirement in Jewish culture at the time. It was considered shameful to turn anyone away from your door. Apparently this family did very well at this practice. Martha worried about details. She wished to please, to serve, to do the right thing - but she often succeeded in making everyone around her uncomfortable. Perhaps as the oldest, she felt the fear of shame if her home did not measure up to expectations. She tried to do everything she could to make sure that wouldn’t happen. As a result, she found it hard to relax and enjoy her guests. She found it even harder to accept Mary’s lack of co-operation in all the preparations. Her feelings were so intense that she finally asked Jesus to settle the matter. He gently corrected her attitude and showed her that while her priorities were good, they were not the best! The attention she gave to her guests should be more important than what she tried to do for them. Later, following her brother Lazarus’ death, Martha could hardly help but be herself on two brief occasions. When she heard Jesus was finally coming, though too late, she rushed out to meet Him. She expressed her inward conflict of disappointment and hope. Jesus pointed out that her hope was too limited - He was not only Lord beyond death, He was Lord over death - the Resurrection and the Life! Moments later, Martha again spoke without thinking, pointing out that four-day-old corpses are well on their way to decomposition. Her awareness of details sometimes kept her from seeing the whole picture! Jesus was consistently patient with her. In our last picture of Martha, she is once again serving a meal to Jesus and His disciples. She has not stopped serving. But the Bible records her silence this time. She has begun to learn what her younger sister already knew, that worship begins with silence and listening!