"For All the Faithful Women"
Jul. 21, 2019
"We sing of busy Martha, Who toiled with pot and pan; While Mary sat in silence To hear the Word again. Christ, keep our hearts attentive To truth that You declare, And strengthen us for service When work becomes our prayer.
"O God for saints and servants, Those named and those unknown; In whom through all the ages Your light of glory shone, We offer glad thanksgiving And fervent prayer we raise, That, faithful in Your service, Our lives may sing Your praise."
Jesus' opponents challenged Him with a question: "Which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" They were testing Him, hoping He would answer wrongly, perhaps elevating one divine command over another. But, as always, Jesus was ready for them. The great and first commandment, He said, is "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." A second commandment, Jesus added, is like it. "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:37-39). The question and Jesus' wise answer were brought to life in the Lord's visit to the home of Martha and her sister Mary.
While Martha busied herself in serving their guest, Mary chose to sit at Jesus' feet and listen to His teaching. Martha complained that Mary had left her with all the work, but Jesus replied that Mary had chosen the "one thing necessary ... the good portion, which will not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:42). Moved by the Spirit, Mary followed that great and first commandment, to love the Lord with all her heart and soul and mind. Martha chose to begin in a different place, to follow the second command that was, as Jesus said, like the first, to love her neighbor as herself, her neighbor that day being their divine Guest.
Mary chose the necessary thing, to love the Lord, to listen to His Word. All other commandments flow from the first: "You shall have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:3). The love and concern we have for our neighbor reflect our love for God. We serve Him by serving our neighbor. Certainly Martha, like Mary, loved her Lord, but Mary correctly chose the place to start. So we, like Mary, first sit at Jesus' feet and hear His Word in worship and Bible study and personal devotions. We are invited to His table, where our faith is nourished by His Holy Supper. Then, filled with His love, fed by His Word and His body and blood, we take up dish towels and mops, laptops and wrenches, and all the many tools of our callings and, like Martha, set out to serve our Lord by serving our neighbor.
THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, lead us to listen like Mary, choosing the "one thing necessary," Your holy Word. Then from that beginning, guide us, like Martha, to serve our neighbor in love. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
- How do you prioritize things in your life?
- What all qualifies as acts of service in the life of a Christian?
- Does remembering that you're serving the Lord Jesus help when serving others? How so?
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler. It is based on the hymn, "For All the Faithful Women." Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
How do you prioritize things in your life?
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