In South Africa, we are fortunate to associate the festive season with rest. However, in reality, that doesn’t mean that we stop to consider the reason for the season. In fact, we fill our summer holidays with so many activities we often return to work in January exhausted instead of well-rested.
Jared Wilson uses the story of Mary and Martha hosting Jesus in their home as captured in Luke 10:38-42 to illustrate our different attitudes towards work and rest. You can read more about this story here.
Here’s my confession: I am a recovering Martha.
Imagine a crowd turning up at your door, without a potluck dinner or a bring-and-braai, and you must provide for them! You scurry about doing the best you can but, in the process, miss out on the rich company. Feeling overwhelmed, you notice your little sister just sitting there! She’s not moving a muscle to help you – just enjoying the party. Doesn’t she care? Doesn’t she feel guilty? Doesn’t anyone think she should get up and help? To make matters worse, you point out her rudeness to your esteemed Guest and he takes her side!
Martha is busy, but not just because she cares about her guests. She might be worried about pleasing and impressing Jesus and his entourage. Her concern with other people’s opinions is masked by the appearance of humble serving. That is why Jesus reprimands her, even though he professes serving one’s neighbour elsewhere in scripture (see Matthew 22:37-40). Jesus sees that Martha is “anxious”, “troubled” and “distracted” which causes her to become resentful and robbing her of love and joy in her task. Jesus notices that Martha’s service is not grounded in a personal relationship with him which troubles him. It is a warning to her since she serves out of anxiety that things won’t get done.
In the Christmas season, it can be very tempting to be busy creating the “perfect” Christmas while we lose out on the joy of being with the people we love, especially the Saviour of our souls. We can even appear to be “working for the Lord” but our motivation is fear of man or fear of an imperfect festive season.
In contrast, Mary is sitting on the floor by Jesus’ feet. She is not distracted by all that needs to be done and barely gives Martha a thought. One might argue that she is lazy and negligent, but when we read the account in John 12, we realize that she is enthralled by Jesus’ teaching and doesn’t care what others think. With humility, she shows Jesus that no sacrifice is too large for her to show her love for him. She has chosen the “good portion.”
What is this “good portion”? We read in Matthew 6:33 that we should “seek first his kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you”. When our focus is on our eternal inheritance in Christ, the petty distractions of this world will not overwhelm us and steal our joy.
Yet, as Jared Wilson reminds us on Day 15 of Gifts of Grace, “our flesh yearns for works-righteousness“. We want to work to earn God’s favour instead of resting in the finished work of Christ. We allow our busyness to distract us from Jesus because if we become still we will be confronted with the sinfulness of our hearts and realise we cannot overcome our struggles by ourselves.
This is exactly why God instituted the Sabbath. Just as the Israelites needed to be reminded of their freedom from slavery in Egypt (Deuteronomy 5:15), we need a constant reminder of our freedom from the slavery of sin. We need one day a week to stop and ponder what God has done for us – and what we can never do for ourselves. One day a week must be dedicated to pressing “reset to the gospel in our hearts and minds.” As Christians, we celebrate the Lord’s day on a Sunday because Jesus was resurrected on a Sunday after overcoming the final enemy of death.
Listen to this short podcast episode below about the Sabbath:
“Jesus did not cry out from the cross Get to work, but “It is finished” (John 19:30). He did not say, “Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you… steps. He said, “Come to me… and I will give you rest” Matthew (11:28). – Jared Wilson
As I’ve reminded you before: The Father chose you. Jesus died for you. The Holy Spirit is working in you to make you more like Christ. There is a place in God’s Kingdom already prepared for you. You don’t have to prove your worthiness because it’s impossible. Isn’t that just the best news you’ve ever heard?
So “Cease striving and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10 NASB) and rest.
Do you identify more with Martha or Mary?
Let me know by clicking the button below:
I have shared O Come All You Unfaithful before, but it is still one of my favourite modern Christmas songs. It speaks of our brokenness which is met with God’s perfect love.
