The choice between convention and urgency in God’s work.

Luke 10: 38 – 42...

The brief Martha and Mary story in Luke 10 disturbs our understanding of propriety.   Our expectations for the upkeep of tradition, custom, culture and social convention are challenged here, in order that we may hear the Gospel of Christ.  

If these things slow us down in God’s work, we need to rethink our priorities.

Jesus and the twelve disciples come to their home for lunch.

Martha is concerned about all the details to prepare them a wonderful meal that would meet all the standards of hospitality. She expresses her love for Jesus by doing this hard work diligently. She goes out of her way to be the hostess that custom and culture require of her.  

But she misses the best part of the visit of the Guest – his gospel teaching about the Kingdom of God that is near. She misses the  "main course” of the most special day of their lives, for the sake of propriety.

Mary risks contempt by sitting at the feet of Jesus and by not “being in the kitchen” as convention requires,  to help her sister, in order not to miss one word of his divine teaching. She sensed the “kingdom urgency” that was part of the journey of Jesus to Jerusalem to redeem us. She expressed her love for Jesus by becoming the best learner she could be, a committed student of the great Teacher!

Jesus said Mary made a better choice.

Both Martha and Mary loved Jesus passionately. Both are his disciples and both do their absolute best to honour and please him.

But the two of them represent the choices many who love the Lord have to make to show their respect and their love:  We often have to choose between propriety and urgency.

And urgency always trumps propriety in the context of the Kingdom of God and expressing our love for the Lord!

The Apostle Paul says it in these words:

“Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.  He is the one we proclaim, giving a warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.  To this end I energetically run with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.”

(Col 1: 24 and 28)

Paul indeed ran the race for Christ’s Kingdom with appropriate urgency!