Luke 10:42. But one thing is needful; and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her
. Well friends, the rainy Monday of yesterday is gone, it has moved into the history books, and Tuesday has opened bright and sunshiny in my area, though a tad cool. But we’ll take the sunshine anytime over a dark and dreary looking day. For sure! The important thing right now is that the days are getting longer and warmer, and after a long, cold, confusing winter, we just can’t wait for those hot, hazy days of summer!
And I’m sure that with the climate change situation we’re going to have some real hot ones that will drive us crazy. But them’s the breaks. Those are simply the negative consequences of our actions, of abusing Mother Earth. Now she’s just giving us back what we deserve. And that’s so unlike the great God Jehovah that we serve. He doesn’t give us our just desserts, but blessings that we don’t deserve. As Bruh David so wisely says in Psalm 103 – Thanksgiving for God’s mercy:
‘The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous (abounding) in mercy (LOVING-kindness). He will not always chide (strive): neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy (LOVING-kindness) toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame (understands our constitution); he remembereth that we are dust.’ (Ps. 103: 8-14)
Oh friends, that says it all! Our God knows that we are only figures of dust, because that’s what He made us from, and thus doesn’t bring all of His power or anger to bear on us when we commit our iniquities, since it would just swallow us up completely. Instead, He uses LOVE, grace and compassion to relieve our iniquities, removes them ‘as far as the east is from the west,’ and pities us like a doting Father, because He knows our inferior substance. What a gracious and merciful God we serve my brethren! And yet, for all the grace and mercy, we still refuse to obey and live according to His Word.
But here’s this interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that ought to wake us up to reality. It’s aptly titled: ‘Beautiful Belonging.’ So please read with me: ‘Before I knew You, Lord It was terribly important To flaunt my culinary art With a moist and tender roast. Now that I’m Yours It is far more important To serve Your gentleness To our guests.
Before I knew You It was terribly important To snatch every weed From our meticulous yard. Now that I’m Yours It is far more important To express neighbourly concern Over the back fence. Before I knew You It was terribly important To check the television schedule from night to night. Now that I am Yours It is far more important To check Your plan From day to day. What an incredible change…This Beautiful belonging!’
And yes, it surely is beautiful belonging to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! For, belonging to Him gives us a whole new, different and better perspective on this earthly life. The things of the world that we once thought were so important, now seem immaterial when compared to a life lived for Jesus. We now believe that mercy and kindness and LOVE are more important than the pretentious and pretensive doings of the world. And Jesus made that very clear when He admonished Martha, Lazarus’ sister, when she complained about her sister Mary not helping her in the kitchen but was sitting at Jesus’ feet listening to Him teach.
And it’s also the Bible verses associated with today’s poem. The Good Book tells it thus: ‘And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful (worried) and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful; and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.’ (Luke 10:41-42)
Oh my people, the same thing can be said about many of us. But let’s listen to some explanations from the scholars on those verses. Re 10:41: ‘The repetition of her name denotes a gentle and sympathetic reply. Careful (see 1 Cor. 7:32-35) often indicates a this-worldly unbelieving attitude that hinders proper attention to the things of God; that is to be unduly concerned about secondary matters.’ And all of us are guilty of that at some time or other in our lives.
And per 10:42: One thing: This can be explained in two ways here. Jesus may be saying that only one simple dish is required for a meal; Martha can handle the preparations without Mary’s help. In this case Martha is being primarily rebuked. Or Jesus may by ‘one thing’ refer to the spiritual nourishment craved by Mary. In this case Jesus is implying that Martha, too, should leave her housework for a time and concentrate on a more urgent matter.’
The same thing applies to us even more today with the burgeoning amount of earthly stuff out there to notice, and our natural reluctance to the importance of the things of God. But Jesus warned several times about paying undue attention to the things of this world, like this occasion when teaching in Capernaum and he claimed the crowds followed Him not because they saw His miracles, but because they ate of the food He provided and was filled. Then He warned. ‘Labour not for the meat (food) which perisheth, but for that meat (food) which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.’ (John 6:27)
That’s spiritual food friends, like the water that satisfies, things that last forever, that’s what we need to be urgently and sincerely seeking, instead of the things of this world that all perish eventually. And Bruh David said it so well in Psalm 27 – the Lord is my light and my salvation. ‘One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty (delightfulness) of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.’ (Ps. 27:4)
Yes my fellow saints, when we can sincerely claim such a desire, truly have a desire to know and live according to the Lord’s Word, then we are getting the right idea, maturing in Christ, growing from glory to glory. And now, for those of us who are trying to live right, let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong lock, stock and barrel.
In strong voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
Now let’s go out there and keep that promise, by sharing the amazing and awesome LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to LOVE and worship him like we do. Much LOVE!
…lasting spiritual insight into the ways of Christ…is much more important than the perishable secular knowledge of the world…
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