Daily devotional · September 7
The One Thing Needed
“As they traveled along, Jesus entered a village where a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to His message. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations to be made. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord replied, “you are worried and upset about many things. But only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, and it will not be taken away from her.””
Martha is doing something good: she is serving, and hospitality matters. Yet Jesus gently says she is restless and pulled in many directions. His words in Luke 10:41 are not an insult but a tender call by name, said twice. Mary, meanwhile, has chosen to sit at his feet and listen, which in that culture was the posture of a student. The point is not that work is bad or that quiet people are holier. It is that even good work can crowd out the person we are working for. Most of us are Martha on a normal Tuesday. Today, before the first task, give Jesus five unhurried minutes. Read a short passage, or simply sit and say, I am listening. If you feel guilty because of the to-do list, remember that Jesus called this the better part, and it will not be taken away.
Also read
““Martha, Martha,” the Lord replied, “you are worried and upset about many things.”
Luke 10:41
Prayer
Lord Jesus, slow my heart down. Help me sit at your feet before I run through my day.