Harmony

DAILY BYTE

I absolutely love the story of Mary and Martha. I know it is often pulled out and dusted off whenever it comes to a sermon on balance, but would like to contend that this story proposes a far greater truth to us than just balance.

Scripture proposes a way of life that is far deeper and less dependent on a multitude of circumstance being frantically juggled as we attempt to keep them in line with our plans. As a matter of fact, the way of life Scripture proposes to us transcends balance – in other words, it includes balance but is also MORE than it.

What the story of Mary and Martha proposes to us is actually harmony. Allow me to explain:

The story takes place in a normal, average home – because isn’t the home almost always the place where a lack of balance is most keenly felt? Jesus had arrived with his disciples, meaning that there were a minimum of 13 people, probably more, around for dinner. According to the strict hospitality code of the day, great honour would be lost to the household if their guests were not properly wined and dined.

Which is exactly what Martha set about doing, and if we look at our traditional notions of balance, (remember the pie chart from yesterday), Martha was probably the most balanced person in the whole story! She was diligently fulfilling the different sections of her life, she was getting the work done, and she probably was planning at the appropriate time to settle down and listen to what Jesus had to say. Everything in its proper place and time after all.

Clearly, however, Martha was missing out on something important. So what was it? Well, Martha feels bitter that she is the only one working hard, and so she goes to Jesus with this complaint and he replies, “Martha, Martha...” (the double repetition is typical of a mild rebuke), “you are worried and distracted about many things, there is need of only one thing ...”

It strikes me that finding out what Jesus means by that ONE THING is really important.

In the movie ‘City Slickers,’ a group of successful city men in the midst of mid-life crises, go on a holiday cattle drive – a real cowboy experience. Curley is the grizzled old cowboy who when conversing with the main character, Mitch, says the following:

“You city folks. You spend 50 weeks a year getting knots in your rope and you think two weeks here will work them all out. You just don’t get it. All that’s important in life is that one thing.”
Mitch queries, “What thing?”
To which Curley replies, “That’s what you have to figure out.”

We will be looking more carefully at this mysterious ‘one thing’ tomorrow. In the mean time pray the following prayer.

PRAY AS YOU GO

O Great God of love, I want to bring to you everything in my life that confuses and distracts me from what is truly important. Help to keep my eyes firmly focused upon you in all things. Amen

FOCUS READING

Hebrews 12 : 2-3

Let us fix our eyes up Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.