Lifestyle Worship - Mary & Martha, Part 4

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Mary & Martha, Part 4

This week, we've looked at the lives of Mary and Martha, two sisters who were close friends of Jesus. In Luke's gospel, chapter 10, we saw Jesus intervene in their lives in a way that reveals to readers of all generations that the priorities of God are significantly different from the priorities of mankind.

We learned that while we would have thought Mary wrong for sitting with Jesus while her sister served Him, and while we would have thought Martha right for working so fervently to be a good hostess, Jesus reversed the tables, complimenting Mary for choosing to abide with Him and reprimanding Martha for choosing instead to serve Him.

Along the way, we're learning 3 principles of lifestyle worship:

First, lifestyle worship is simple, not complicated.
Second, lifestyle worship welcomes heart, not formula.
Third, lifestyle worship is daring, not dull.

Later on - in fact, just one week before Christ was crucified - He came back to Bethany for another visit with Martha, Mary and their brother. Again Martha served dinner, as was her custom. Again Mary broke with tradition...as was her custom!

This time, Mary gave Him her most prized possession, a very expensive perfume that was worth an entire year's wages, according to Judas. She wasn't content to simply wrap it up and hand it to Him as a gift; she completely used it up anointing His feet. Reverently she poured it over them and then, in humble adoration, wiped His feet with her own hair.

Again Mary's unconventional act of loving worship was attacked. This time her rebuke came not from Martha, but from Judas, the disciple who was a thief.

Again Jesus read their hearts and again He rebuked the attacker. Again He affirmed Mary's simple, significant, daring expression of loving worship.

And what was Martha doing as this took place? Scripture records nothing of her response. Could it be that by this time she had learned how to serve guests without allowing herself to be "drawn in different directions by anxious cares?" Could it be that this time both sisters expressed their love to God in contrasting ways, but with similarly worshiping hearts? I think so.

The fourth lifestyle principle we see in Mary is this: Lifestyle worship focuses on giving, not receiving. When Mary chose to spend time with Jesus rather than helping Martha, she had nothing to gain by incurring her sister's wrath. Yet, when you think about it, she actually risked a family relationship to feed a spiritual relationship. She jeopardized one to nourish the other.

Mary was more focused on giving than receiving. Her first gift of time and her second gift of treasure did not come from a heart that was seeking special personal favors. Her gifts of time and treasure came from a heart wanting to express love. More often than we wish to admit, our gifts are motivated by an anticipated return on that investment. As such, it's a tainted gift.

I wonder if there has ever in the history of our species been a time when, individually and collectively, we have been more "drawn in different directions by anxious cares" than right now. We have the stress place on ourselves because of our compulsion to achieve in many areas of life at one time. This in itself is enough to shipwreck us.

But there are other forces, too. Many worthy charitable and political causes have been organized and marketed to capture your attention: child abuse, battered spouses, drug abuse, cancer, alcohol abuse, heart disease, kidney replacement, teen pregnancy, abortion, euthanasia, neighborhood safety, neighborhood growth control, whales, gun control, oil spills, greenhouse effects, toxic waste, POWs, MIAs, illegal immigrants, homeless people, women's rights, black rights, Indian rights, Hispanic rights.... Sounding almost like an excerpt from the book of Ecclesiastes, every cause under the sun has an organized group to support it. And every group wants your time and your money (but not in that order).

Now, on top of those two backpacks add the various activities of your church and other ministry interests: general meetings that someone says you just have to attend, smaller group gatherings "which are a must" and individuals you need to spend some time with for encouragement, fellowship or edification. How often (like Martha) our service for Christ crowds out our fellowship with Christ.... A bit overwhelming, isn't it?

Perhaps you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary chose what is better; now, why not you? What should you pursue? What should you eliminate? How can you choose wisely in your life? How can you keep the horse before the cart, loving and abiding before serving?

The term "tough love" has become familiar in recent years. It refers to our need, at times, to make tough decisions for the sake of those we love. Tough love may call on you and me, as an expression of our love for God, to make some tough choices in our use of time - as Mary did when she chose to be with Jesus - or our treasure - as Mary did when she anointed Jesus with her perfume and wiped His feet with her hair.

"Great idea," you say, "But how does a person begin?" That's a good question. I recommend that we do what basketball coaches do when the game is getting out of control: call a time-out. Get alone with God for a while, calm your racing heart and think "long thoughts." You won't need to develop a complex plan. Just ask Him what simple ways you can show Him how much you love Him. If you mean it, He'll take care of the rest.