38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said.
Sweet Martha opens her home and takes under her care our Savior receiving Him both kindly and hospitably. This is no small matter. There were no grocery stores or take out restaurants. I am sure that they had to grind wheat to make bread, milk the cow or sheep or goat for milk and slaughter the fatted calf or whatever for some meat – you get the drift here! While I know very little about cooking, I know enough to know that the preparations in that day were both difficult and time consuming! It was admirable for her to have such a servant’s heart. She was indeed fleshing out Romans 12:13 Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Romans 12:13 (NIV)
It is God’s desire for us to help our brothers and sisters who are in need. The problem arises when we place hospitality above our hearing with attention and heeding the words Jesus has for us. Martha’s sister was “called” Mary indicating that this was not her given name. Mary means “bitter” which could be the reason she was so attached to our Lord. Something had happened in her life for the name change. Her need was strong and she was finding it met in our Savior. Like a sponge, she was soaking in His presence. This was too good for her to be distracted by the details of life. They could wait but she could not. Her focus and passion was to soak up every utterance finding fulfilling satisfaction where blatant need used to dwell. This is reminiscent of Psalm 145: 16 You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. Psalms 145:16 (NIV)
The prophet Isaiah echoes the exact same sentiment: 2 Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Isaiah 55:2 (NIV)
Billy Graham states the following which is applicable to our study for today: “Have you ever been under water for a period of time that is longer than you had expected? You know, as the time ticks away, how desperate you become to reach the surface and breathe the air...You have no other thoughts but quenching your need for air. That is what it means to ‘long for God,’ to fill unfulfilled without Him. It means we know we desperately need Him, even more than we need air, and we yearn to be filled with His presence.” It is God’s desire for us to “become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” – Ephesians 4:13. David had a longing in his heart like this. We are told in Psalm 27: 4 One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. Psalms 27:4 (NIV)
Man was created to fellowship with God – He is a “with” us God! It was this way from the beginning. We find Him walking in the garden in Genesis calling out for Adam and Eve after they had eaten the forbidden fruit:8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?" Gen 3:8-9 (NIV)
He still calls to His children, wayward or not. He delights in our being with Him much more than what we do for Him. That is why we are called human “beings” instead of human “doings”! His promise has always been:3 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.' Jer 33:3 (NIV)
14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. 15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him; will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation." Psalms 91:14-16 (NIV)