[5 Conversations With Christ] Distractions Sýnishorn

Living in Martha Mode 

Jesus and the disciples were traveling. They entered Bethany, a village about two miles outside of Jerusalem, and there we meet Mary of Bethany. She is not Mary the mother of Jesus nor Mary Magdalene; this is a different Mary. Her sister’s name is Martha. Martha was probably older, because she ran the household and it was her house. They have a brother you might have heard of: his name is Lazarus. That's the family unit. We don’t hear about their parents; most commentators assume that their parents have died. 

So, Jesus is coming into this home. He comes in and we have got a choice. Are we going to act like Martha, or like Mary? Are we going to live in Martha mode, or in Mary mode?  

Let’s talk about the Martha mode first. Martha mode is a busy mode. It is a distracted mode; it is a moving-all-over-the-place mode. I find, with my personality, that I live in Martha mode a lot. We live in a world of distraction. Even as so many things have been moved out of the way during this pandemic, there are still distractions. In Houston, Texas, we live in Martha mode a lot. You’ve got to go, move, get on the freeway, make that turn. We all know that in Houston, with all the construction going on all the time, if you miss your turn, you could pay dearly. If you miss your exit, it might cost you 30 minutes to get back around to it. So, we live in Martha mode, freaked out, trying to get everything together.  

Now, here is what I want you to know about Martha mode. First and foremost: Martha is a good person, concerned with good things. Jesus loved Martha. Busy people, like Martha, are not bad people. But if we are busy people, like she was, we have got to be aware not to get so busy that our business turns into distraction, and then into worry, and then into being upset.  

Lord, help us evaluate our busy lives.