Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself?
Tell her then to help me.
Luke 10: 40
This is an interesting use of prayer – telling Jesus to order another person to help you.
In this case it is Martha asking Jesus to direct Mary, her sister, to help her get the table ready and serve lunch. And don’t overlook her subtle claim that she has already done more than her share.
Context is important here. Jesus and some of his disciples are at the home of Lazarus and his sisters, Martha and Mary, for lunch. Preparing and serving a dozen or more would have been quite a bit of work, especially if Martha was doing it by herself – since Mary had been sitting “at the Lord’s feet,” listening to Jesus. (This was unusual all by itself, because in first century Palestine women would not have been welcome when the guys were discussing serious stuff.)
So let’s look at Jesus’ response to Martha’s request: Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her, [10:41-42].
First, there is no rebuke for the presumption that Jesus should help us get credit or assistance for our good works. Instead, Jesus focuses on Martha’s worry and distraction from that trying to get everything done. Jesus doesn’t tell Martha that what she is doing is not important; he tells her that focusing only on the tasks and fretting about getting them done is the problem. Second, Jesus tells her there is only one important thing to do – and Mary is doing it.
What do you suppose is the amount of time you act like Mary compared to the amount of time you follow Martha’s model.
It sounds like Jesus’ idea of a good balance is probably 87 percent paying attention to him and 13 percent doing stuff. If this seems like an unrealistic or impossible ratio, go through the Gospels and note the number of times Jesus goes off to pray. Martin Luther once said, “I have so much to do I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.”
The number of smart phone apps for calendars, schedules, notes and ToDo’s is evidence of the role (rule?) that doing stuff plays in our lives. Our current posture (hunched-over) and thumb dexterity are more indicators. Technology has allowed us to cram more stuff-to-do into our waking hours, but it has not helped us take an appropriate or effective attitude toward those tasks. Are we doing them because our supervisor or manager tells us to? Because our job description tells us to? Because our smart phone tells us to? (Do not check your phone for the answer!)
And if we fall behind or miss a meeting or overlook a task, how does this affect us? Probably “worry and distraction.” Which leaves even less time for “the better part.”
Spending time with Jesus as our first task (or meeting or conference call — he will respond to all get-together formats) helps us sort out the stuff, set priorities, and be clear about why we are tackling each item on the list. Spending time with Jesus also brings us in synch with what he is already doing and makes us aware that he is doing the heavy lifting. So we can be involved without getting in the way.
My favorite morning mug is inscribed, “Good Morning. This is God. I will be handling all your problems today.” The coffee tastes better as well.