LEARNING DAILY

I must apologize to Pastor Piper of NorthRock Church. I wrote his name as John; his name is Jim.

Luke 10:39, And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord 's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me."

This sister who went to Jesus was named Martha, it is her home and she is burdened by the honor of hosting Jesus and has busied herself with preparations. Pastor Leonce Crump spoke at Community Bible Church this weekend about Believers “living under a constant pressure to perform, to find their identity in what we do and what we produce.” He did not talk about Martha and Mary, but my thoughts went to their story in the Bible. Pastor Crump’s message was about Believers trying to earn their identity as a child of God and are enslaved by the elementary principles the world continually teaches are important. Martha had her mind set on good things, but not the best things. She was distracted by customs and traditions, while her sister Mary was focused on what is most important, sitting at the feet of Jesus, taking in every word He spoke.

It seems to me that Pastor Crumb was talking about distractions, like Mary was distracted from what was most important. The world certainly offers all sorts of distractions that can easily get Believers to follow what might be good things – just not the best things. While Pastor Crumb’s message was more about one trying to earn their salvation by “trying to perform, trying to earn their identity as a Christian,” Martha was busy with preparations (doing), serving, and hospitality. In both situations, it is necessary to understand the importance of prioritizing spiritual nourishment over worldly distractions.

Jesus Christ came to this world to “redeem those under the curse of the law, so we might receive adoption as children” (Pastor Crumb). When one accepts what Jesus did at the cross of Calvary and through His resurrection, it is important to do what Mary did – sit at the feet of Jesus and learn from Him. “Sitting at the feet of Jesus means the willingness to walk the narrow way closely with Him and a willingness to submit to His teachings. This serves as a reminder in this world where chaos is all around, to take the time to “sit at the feet of Jesus” by reading/studying/meditating on His Word, allowing it to bring the right focus and perspective to what we think and do each day.

How do Believers follow the Lord without distractions? 1 Corinthians 7:35, “I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.” I know the context of this verse is about the married person dividing their attention between follow Christ and their spiritual obligation to please his or her spouse. Yet, it causes the Believer to take a moment to decide if there is anything or anyone distracting him or her from being wholly committed to following Jesus. Each Believer must serve God with undivided attention and devotion by prioritizing our relationship with Him and seeking to glorify Him in everything we do. This verse from 1 Corinthians is encouraging the Believer to place your devotion to God above all else. Do not be distracted by trying to follow what the world says about earning your salvation; “you do not need to perform to be exceptional” (Pastor Crumb). You need to follow the example of Mary by focusing not on what is good, but what is best.