"Martha" Syndrome

Last week, my pastor asked me to prepare a five minute word for church. I was nervous and a little worried I wouldn't have anything. This came after a word that I needed to be more like Mary and less like Martha. So, during the week, I really mused on what was said and at first, I was feeling all kinds of distressed. Then I buckled down and began to study. I read and studied out several things, but I didn't feel settled about it being the word God wanted me to share. As part of my preparation, I also fasted. On the last day of my fast, I was praying and lo and behold, Luke 10:38-42 came to mind. I felt the Lord wanted me to study it out and share what I learned. Here's the scripture below:

Luke 10:38-42 (KJV)
³⁸ Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.
³⁹ And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.
⁴⁰ But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
⁴¹ And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
⁴² But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

I want to pull out the words I bolded. "Cumbered" literally translates, was pulled about or was distracted. In the Greek, it means to drag all around, i.e. to distract (with care). 

Serving means attendance (as a servant,etc), figuratively aid, (official) service (especially of the Christian teacher, or technically of the diaconate (that is, deacons)). 

Careful does not mean what it does in the English, it means to be anxious about something in the Greek. 

Needful means employment, i.e. an affair or occasion, demand, requirement, or destitution.

To pull it all together, Jesus gently corrected Martha and let her know that Mary choose the "good part", that which cannot be taken away or wrested from her. Yes, we need people to serve in the church - this is all very important, but individually and corporately, our JOB, our EMPLOYMENT, our REQUIREMENT is to first sit at the feet of Jesus. 

Lord knows, this is a corrective word to me. All the various roles I must fill should never ever trump my first role - disciple of Christ. It is a challenge to me and anyone else who loves the Lord to first, sit at His feet. The things we will gain from this time spent with Him, the things He'll have a chance to speak to us - these things can never be taken from us. We can lose our natural employment, burn up that meal we neglected the Lord to cook, but that time spent...not to quote a commercial, but it is truly priceless.