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 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”  “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42

There are so many distractions available to us today. Some of these are not connected to our sense of “basic necessities” and are easily identified as accessories to our daily lives. There are many inventions, devices, etc. that we say we just couldn’t live without, but in reality we realize that these are not a necessary part of our lives. We could live without them if we had to.

However, there is a whole other set of distractions that we often don’t recognize as such. In the story of Mary and Martha, it would seem that Martha was busily occupied performing very necessary tasks. She was probably preparing a meal and making arrangements for the Lord and those who were there with Him. On the surface this seems very noble if not completely necessary. After all, Jesus and the crew were probably hungry and ready for a good homecooked meal and it was going to take a lot of work to care for such a large group! Today we would probably say that Martha had a “servant’s heart”.

While Martha was busy performing the “necessary” tasks of a hostess, Mary was sitting with the others listening to Jesus. Not only would this have been deemed inconsiderate by her sister who was working hard to “serve”, but it was a cultural taboo for a woman to be sitting with the men, receiving the same instruction. By this one act Mary would seem to be both selfish and socially flippant. Martha, frustrated by Mary’s brash and ungracious behavior, asked Jesus to “put Mary in her place”. Imagine Mary’s perplexity at Jesus’ answer, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Jesus tells Martha that Mary is already “in her place”. It is Martha who is out of place, not Mary. Jesus’ obviously didn’t use the same scale to measure necessity that Martha did.

Maybe Jesus still doesn’t use the same scale of measurement that we do.

The song “We All Wanna Be Loved” by the Christian group DC Talk includes this lyric:

I’ve never heard a dying soul
Wish that he had taken
More time on his portfolio

How many times do we miss the real essentials because we are busily performing what our culture, family, or even church deems “necessary”? Father, let us measure needfulness with the same ruler that Jesus uses!

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

“God is love.” 1 John 4:16

Love. It’s a simple word, but one with profound meaning.

The most famous passage about love in the Bible is found in 1 Corinthians 13. This passage is often cited at weddings as a descriptor of the kind of relationship that a married couple is to have for each other. 1 Corinthians 13 is also often used to remind us of the kind of love we are to extend to others in our practical, day to day lives. While it is true that couples need to be “patient”, “kind”, and ”not self-seeking”, and that we need to love other people, I believe that 1 Corinthians 13 is actually pointing us to an even deeper understanding of who God is.

1 John 4:16 tells us that “God is love“, and in verse 19 says that “We love because he first loved us.” Could it be that we have gotten the proverbial cart before the horse? Have we been trying to love others and do good in order to please God, that is, in order to make Him love us more? If I am reading 1 John 4:19 correctly, it seems that the only way that we can truly display the love described in 1 Corinthians 13 is if we learn it from the God who is Himself love. If God is love, it seems that we could actually substitute the word “God” for “love” in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. Here is what that would look like:

“God is patient, God is kind. He does not envy, He does not boast, He is not proud.  God is not rude, He is not self-seeking, He is not easily angered, He keeps no record of wrongs.  God does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. God never fails.” 

Wow! Doesn’t this fly in the face of so many of the things that we have heard about God? Let’s just take a couple of these points for example. “God is not self-seeking.” How many times have you heard that everything is about God getting glory? How many times have you heard people end their prayer with “and we will be careful to give you all of the glory”? According to this passage it doesn’t seem like God is just “looking out for number one”, does it? It seems like the God of love is more interested in serving others than in being served. (See Philippians 2, Mark 10:45)

How many times have we imagined God as writing down each thing that we have done wrong, saving it to bring it back up on the day of judgment? I have heard some people suggest that on judgment day God will play back a video of all of the times that we sinned or disobeyed Him. Yet, according to 1 Corinthians 13:5 God “keeps no record of wrongs“. Wow! Did you hear that? God is not keeping a list and checking it twice, trying to find out who’s naughty and nice!

Our Father loves us with an undying, unwavering, and unswerving love! Let’s meditate on 1 Corinthians 13 and endeavor to understand more deeply how our Father loves us. Then, and only then, will we be able to extend this same love to others. As we see our Father loving us and others we will be able to

BE imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father]. Ephesians 5:1 Amplified

Only as we understand His love for us are we empowered to share that love with others.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it…The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world…The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us…This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.  John 1:1-5, 9, 14, 19-21

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light…Have  nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.  But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.  Ephesians 5: 8, 11-13

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.  1 John 1:5    

As I read this over it sounds like a Christmas message is coming.  But winter is still yet a ways a way.  I’m really enjoying the cooler fall weather and soon those leaves will be painted with God’s paintbrush!  Actually, what is making me dwell on “light” is the vacation that I took last month when I was able to visit a few lighthouses.  I am passionate about lighthouses.  I like to visit them, climb them, collect them and ponder the meaning of light in regards to them.  Lighthouses can represent many things, for example a strong beacon of protection in a time of trouble.  We may have romanticized them somewhat, in longing for that day when the lighthouse keeper climbed the stairs to keep the wick lit so people would be safe in the ships they travelled in along rocky coasts.  After hearing a number of stories about this, we realize how very unromantic it was.  Families had to live miles away from others and storms were hard on the structures they were responsible for. It was a very hard life.  

I have a Bible cover with a lighthouse on it.  It reminds me that the scriptures are a light to my path, this life that I’m journeying through, and I look to the Lord for His guidance, direction and protection.  One of my favorite verses relates to me that there is no darkness in God at all, He is pure light.  He is the light of the world.  While darkness may be around us, I am safe in His light.  I don’t understand how people can love darkness.  I’ve never been a fan.  I have trouble seeing in the dark and I don’t like to be scared by “dark” movies. Perhaps you can relate.  What makes people hide things in the dark?  The scripture says they love darkness more than light and have fear.  I have learned that when we allow God’s light to shine on things, then we are much better off because He can work in those things what needs to be healed, righted, transformed, etc.  When we hold things in darkness we are in the realm of the enemy.  I once counseled someone who was in a prayer relationship with someone who was being untruthful with them.  I urged them to let this person know that they knew they were being devious and get it out into the light so God could be with them in it.  At first they let it slide, but after a time the confrontation was made and the result was a good one.  My prayer for you, dear reader, is that you will allow God to shine His light into your life in such a way that you can feel the warmth of His love, presence, healing, restoration, and kindness.  May His truth set you free for your good, (actually for your very best) and that you may be a light to others who are seeking the Light they not yet know.