Bruce Collins, Evangelist

The personal website of Bruce Collins

Something to be Worried About

 
(Luke 10:41-42 NKJV) (41) And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
 
Mary
She was the “lazy” one. She wasn’t cooking over a hot stove nor was she setting the table in preparation for a meal with the Lord.  She was sitting at His feet spending time with Him.  Later she would anoint his feet with precious anointment.  It appears that she did not watch HIm be crucified although this is not certain since women watched the crucifixion who are not named; but she certainly understood that He was going to suffer.  I wonder if she may have been the only one of the disciples that was close to the Lord that understood that the Lord was going to die, be buried, and then rise again.  
 
Martha
She was the industrious one.  She wanted things to be “right.”   She was a servant’s servant.  She was doing what she knew how to do.  But it left her “worried and troubled.”  She sounds like “yours truly.”
 
Which One are We?
There is certainly a place for industrious service.  The Bible is clear about that.  But sometimes our service gets in the way of our devotion and we miss out on great blessings.  I am sure that Martha’s efforts were appreciated by the Lord. He addresses her as “Marha, Martha” which was usually a way of showing endearment.  But I am also sure that a hotdog served with an appropriate beverage would have also been appreciated if it had given Martha time to enjoy the Lord’s presence.  She certainly wanted to honor him by being a good host, but her busyness caused her to be “worried and troubled” when the presence of the Lord should have been enjoyable.
 
Lessons
We know that there are times when we are worried and troubled for the right reasons. The Lord was troubled in the Garden as He anticipated the suffering of the cross.  Paul was troubled about those who were teaching false doctrine in the Galatian assemblies. Paul was rightly concerned about the moral conditions of the Corinthians.  I think that the unsaved should be awakened and “troubled” about their lost condition.  But in each case the solution to the anxiety and trouble is the Lord.  We need to make sure that we aren’t so taken up with “ourselves” that we lose the blessing of the peace that only the Lord can give.
 
The Lord spent whole nights on the mountain in prayer.  He did that before calling the twelve apostles.  He often went upon a mountain to pray.  Perhaps that is what we miss. . .the mountain top experience of prayer.  I suspect that these were times of communion and were not necessarily prayers where the Lord was asking for something or where He was interceding for someone.  I suspect that He was just enjoying the presence of the Father in the same way that Mary enjoyed His presence.
 
The Psalmist says,”In Your presence (Jehovah’s presence) is fullness of joy;
At your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11)
 
Bruce Collins
 
Meditation for the week of week of April 5, 2021

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