I’m sharing Becky Brown’s summary of this chapter, then I will delve into one of my favorite passages at the end.
“Jesus chose twelve disciples to serve alongside Him. He chose three of that twelve to take a little deeper with Him: Peter, James, John. Then, from the multitudes that followed His ministry, Jesus chose seventy to work in groups of two. These seventy would go to villages in advance of the arrival of Jesus to prepare the way.
When the seventy returned rejoicing, Jesus made sure to prioritize their reasons for rejoicing. Satan is defeated. We are protected by God. Our names are recorded in Heaven. God reveals Himself to us. We are recipients of the promises of God.
The story of “the Good Samaritan” strikes a distinct chord and puts each of us to shame in our dealings with others. We are to show compassion in all settings with everyone. The best blessings are received from “grace dispensers.”
Becky Brown
Now for a passage that sits deep with me. It contains lessons about sibling rivalry, being too busy, and making good choices.
“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.”
Luke 10:38-39 NIV
Now Martha was obviously the “responsible” sister. She owned the home and was doing everything in her power to provide all the comforts that Jesus could have.
Mary wasn’t concerned with the material things. She was concerned with the spiritual. She listened and paid attention to Jesus and his words.
“But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!””
Luke 10:40 NIV
I can identify with both women. I love to have people in my home. I love to practice hospitality and share the blessings of my home with others.
Our world of Pinterest and HGTV makes us worry continuously over the unimportant details. Is our home decorated correctly? Did we serve something special and homemade? Is everything clean? Are the sofa pillows in the right place?
We should care for what God has given us, but when we have guests, they should be the center of our focus. True friends only care about visiting with us, not about home decorating and the latest food and beverage trends.
Sitting with and caring for others spiritually should always be our focus. Spending time is the ultimate way to show you care.
““Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.””
Luke 10:41-42 NIV
Dr Vet Sonya 