Martha, Martha...

Her house is the cleanest one on the narrow, dusty, street. It should be -- you can see her on the step, every morning, sweeping at the crack of dawn, shooing away birds that gather on her stoop.

Her cooking is renowned in Bethany -- nobody knows how to make fresh bread and lamb the way Martha does.

When a neighbour is ill or feeling under the weather, she's known to prepare a basket of her famous treats and bring them over.

She's always busy -- if you want to catch her, it's best to do it at market when she is picking up food for the week. A picture of calm in a sea of chaos and loud voices bartering for the best deal on everything from baking supplies to wine.

At temple socials -- or in fact, any social -- you can feel the weight of Martha's stare and the tell-tale click of her tongue if you aren't pulling your weight. Those blue eyes bear into a person... those pursed lips and disappointed shaking of the head make everyone work just a touch harder.

While Martha is an example of what every hostess should be, she has a short fuse when people let her down.

Such is the situation we find her in on the day Jesus pays her a visit:

Luke 10:38-40: "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. 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!"

Can't you just sense her frustration? She knows how important Jesus is -- she understands He's the Messiah -- and so her normal diligence in preparing her home to host a guest has increased ten-fold. That tongue of hers has been clicking all morning - she's clanging pots in the kitchen, trying to get Mary's attention, all the while her sister sits there looking up at Christ, sitting at his feet, enjoying the presence and wisdom of the King of Kings.

This week the idea of writing about Martha came to me when I saw this passage -- but I didn't quite know what to write about until I heard a song called "In the presence of royalty". The song talks about appreciating the complete majesty of being in God's presence and as I heard these lyrics I started to think about the story of Martha and Mary and how it relates to my own life:

"We're in the presence of royalty. It's our sovernign God and King, we're before your throne, we bow at your feet. We worship you holy king. It's in your presence that I find joy, it's in your presence that I find peace. I find rest for my soul and strength for my life lying here at your feet".

I know in my case I am a Martha - I find myself running around, trying to be perfect, the best host, the best clothes, the best food, the best, the best, the best... and like Martha, if Christ walked into my home, you would probably find me in the kitchen banging pots trying to catch the attention of my wife... I'd want her to help and not to waste time sitting around lolly-gagging. But that's the beauty of what Mary is doing in this passage... she's finding peace, joy and strength at the feet of Her King. Her ears are turned to His words of wisdom and she's too caught up in the moment of having the Son of God sitting in her living room to worry about taking the bread out of the stone hearth.

What does Jesus think of this moment? Is he angry at Martha for asking Him to scold Mary for sitting around while she does all the work? For clicking that famous tongue in His direction? I don't detect anger in the words that Jesus spoke... I think Jesus appreciates Martha's hospitality, the desire to do good through doing works, but he does give her a gentle reprimand:

Luke 10:41-42: "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

I love how that begins -- "Martha, Martha...". He's heard this before, hasn't he? Martha scolding Mary and anybody that hasn't pulled up their socks? But His words to her are spoken in love and He reminds her that for all her hospitality, her gifts of service, that the only thing that is needed in THAT moment -- indeed, in all of life's moments - is the very thing Mary has found: peace, wisdom, strength and love. In other words, He is saying... Martha, come find some rest... you are always on the go, always working, but if you work without concentrating on me, you will have missed the whole point. We don't know Martha's reaction after those words... but something tells me, her face would have flushed and she would have wiped the flour off her hands pretty quick and sat down. Embarrassed? Maybe slightly... but probably grateful for the reminder that love and devotion are as much found in obediently listening and enjoying God, as they are in serving Him directly.

Let's not forget that Martha was one of the first people to acknowledge that Christ WAS the Messiah:

John 11:25-27: "Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?". "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."

Martha, like all of us, knew Christ as Her Saviour. But she had a tendency to allow her God-given gifts to get in the way of appreciating being in the presence of royalty.

Do you do that? Do you, like Mary, sit at the feet of your King and just take Him in? Content to sit and absorb His love, His wisdom, His glory? Or are you like Martha - like me - someone who loves Christ so much that you think works are a better way to demonstrate your love?

There is nothing wrong with serving, nothing wrong with embracing your gifts... but remember, focus on the things that are lasting -- God -- and you'll find that balance that Christ wants us all to have. Your focus should always be on Him -- enjoy the presence of royalty... it's okay if that bread is a bit overcooked.