Women of the BibleShembull

Martha

Within our social media, Pinterest-perfect culture, I often think about what others might expect from me more than God's desires. We see Martha perfectly following others' expectations. It would have been scheduled for her to serve and take on the role of hostess, yet it wasn't what Jesus asked of her. Martha had a personal faith in Jesus, but she sometimes got distracted by the busyness of doing FOR Jesus and missed being WITH Jesus.

The setting in Luke 10 is named Martha's home. She took on the responsibility of caring for Jesus and his disciples and was very busy attending to their needs. Martha was bothered by Mary's lack of assistance and mentioned it to Jesus. John 11 shows her devotion and close relationship with Jesus. She responded to Jesus's remark about the resurrection with affirmation and belief in what He said, clearly showing her deep faith in who He was. We again saw her serving in John 12.

1. Often Jesus responds in ways that would have been counter to the cultural norms of the day. What other ways do you see Him react in ways that show a kingdom focus versus what culture told them to do?

Prayer: Father, thank you for giving examples of people who loved you dearly and sometimes missed the mark. Help me not miss being with you in the busyness of serving.