ONE THING IS NEEDFUL!(Luke 10:38-42)
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.
Commentary on Martha encounter with Jesus.
The visitation (v38): 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.
The Lord was on the move, going about His Father’s mission and this mission made him entered into a ‘certain village’. This is not a city neither a town but a village; a certain village which has no name, this indeed depict the Master’s passion for the lowly and what a missionary calling! How often do most ministers of the gospel fail to emulate from the lifestyle of the Lord whom they claim to serve. They are only passionate to be in the city or places where they will be seen by men and not where the duty calls to obey!
Another interesting part of this great visitation is the Lord entering into the house of ‘a certain woman’ what humility on the side of the Master! Such a certain village must be one of these remote communities that are so daft in tradition and culture which keep women in lowly regard. Coming to that such ‘a certain woman’ which was not recorded whether she has a husband, so from observation, she must be a widow, a single lady or an old-maiden, am sure you know the sister Mary who later anointed the Master, whom the bible recorded that she was a prostitute whom the Master caste out seven demons. The brother Lazarus was so sick to death because no money to take him to hospital. Imagine it was such a family that the Lord visited! How many of our Overseers are guilty of wrong visitation. They only visit the very world leaders and politicians who bend on making laws and policies that are oppose to the gospel of Christ! Even we as Christians we have form class as there are people we can only relate with: church members, working class or societal status that we despise those we think does not fall in same level with us! The earthly Ministry of Jesus started with the lowly in the society starting from his birth, the men he calls etc. it was later that some very rich indicated interest to be his followers. The ministry of Jesus was more of blessing to the lowly than the highly place in the society! We must learn from the Master lifestyle of humility!
Attention (v39): 39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.
Martha had a sister called Mary, they must be living together and doing things in common, do we still have ladies who can stay together and do things in common without much quarrel? How often do we have sisters whose relationship has shattered on account of money, pride, boyfriend and so on? These are grown ladies yet they stay together and am sure it was the love and peace that ruminate in that house-hold attracted the Prince of Peace! This beautiful sister of Martha called: Mary was found sitting at the feet of the Master listening to His word! What an attention! This is unlike in our contemporary society where we give attention to things that does not matter. We turn to social media and stays there hours even late in the night chatting, watching unruly videos without giving attention to word and prayer, no wonder the power of the old is no longer effectual in our generation! We are so distracted that we get confused on life, because of things we give attention to! It is high time we return to the master’s feet like the great faithful did in their time, as that is where our answers and blessings of life reside! They give attention to the word and their faces were never ashamed. This is because faith cometh by hearing the word of God.
The Hindrances (v40) 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.
Martha was cumbered in other word she was hinder because of things that does not matter, how often are we hinder from hearing God? The noise in our contemporary society has hinder so many of us from been blessed by the word of God. We are so daft with the world tradition that we fail to understand the mind of God and the move of the Holy Spirit!
We may think we are doing it in the best interest of the church or society but God is saying ‘this is not where am calling you to serve’ Like Martha we are much cumbered with the busyness of living: our job, family and life that we fail to focus on things that matters. Oh we might as well thought like Martha that God is not seeing what I am passing through, “Lord careth thou not...” how often have we blame God on failures caused by our ignorance of God’s direction! Martha was troubled and hindered so much that it led her in frustration in such that she blames everyone including the Master, she felt rejected and alone in the journey of life. That often is your fate whenever you do things based on
self-dictate, for a time will come when you will be left alone, no God, no relation, no friend, no pastor or counselor to assist or advise you, because for long you have ignore these Angels including the Holy spirit. You are so daft not to listen to anyone, not even your conscience into something you think you know alone. You come on social media, especially facebook to post like “when no one understands me I don’t care, I go de carry de go’’ Instead of you to attend to your ignorance and get wisdom to do, you are there celebrating ignorance and your self-stupidity! But never mind, soon you will be left alone! ‘..Bid her therefore that she helps me’ you will beg like Martha to be assisted but nobody will listen to you!
The Divine Mandate (v41-42) 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.
Jesus has an answer to every fear and doubt on life and he has one for Martha. ‘Martha, Martha’ the Lord called twice, so is the Lord calling us in several occasions, but because we are daft in our own Martha, we fail to hear the call once, but for His grace and mercy He keep calling ‘Martha, Martha’ to get our attention first and then point us to things that matter most. Today the Lord is still calling you, he want to hand over to you a treasure that will be a blessing to generations! What could be your distraction that you are so engrossed with, that you fail to answer once? The Master is so merciful that He can use several occasions both pleasant and misfortune to get our attention to one thing that is needful, which we have so lost focus to notice. Don’t wait till you found yourself in the hospital with your one leg hang-up before you pay attention to His calling! Don’t wait till you lose that job or have your loved one death before you can hear the Lord! Martha, Martha, the Lord keep calling, then having lost all in
Self-pursuit, she turns to face the Lord! Don’t wait till you lost all before you give Him attention.
Then the Lord addresses her cares and troubles. He knows all; He is the LORD! He is the only one who has answers to our situations and troubles of life, even our inner fears which we may not know are very much open before Him. We should learn to turn to Him in our fragile-season. thou art careful and troubled about many things. So is it to many Christians, we find it very difficult to let go on things that matter most to us, which the Lord is not seeing as very essential to our Christian race! Hence the Lord admonishes us as He did to Martha many centuries ago, “One thing is needful” and that is what surpasses time and seasons, so many things can be twisted and pass on and so many which might be reining now will soon fade away in time! Oh how often are we caught in pursuing soon-to-fade that we relegate this one thing that matters most!
‘Mary has chosen the good part’ we must endeavor to choose the good part like Mary as that is all that matters! It surpasses time and season and cannot be taken away from those who have it! Amen!!!
