With All The Distractions And Addictions Of Life, What If Less Actually Gave Us More?
Good Morning Friends,
Today’s lectionary text is about choosing a place at the table and an approach to how we interface in the world. It is about being freed from the slavery of thoughts and things. And this brings us to today’s question. With All The Distractions And Addictions Of Life, What If Less Actually Gave Us More?
Scripture: Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:38-42 (NRSV)
and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.”
John 11:19-27 (NRSV)
Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice, and said, “All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do.” And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. He rose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and set up twelve pillars, corresponding to the twelve tribes of Israel. He sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed oxen as offerings of well-being to the Lord. Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he dashed against the altar. Then he took the book of the covenant, and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.” Moses took the blood and dashed it on the people, and said, “See the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”
Exodus 24:3-8 (NRSV)
Message: Sometimes the events of life seem to want to steal our time, energy, hope, peace and joy from us. And sometimes we fall prey to them. Jesus compared these situations to a thief coming in the night to steal, kill and destroy. But what we really want is to have life more abundant and not just more things. Amazingly sometimes less is sometimes more when it the real rewards of life. The story of Moses gives us symbolism as a foundation for the story of Mary, Martha and Jesus. In the book of Exodus, Egypt is a type of the world, Pharaoh a type of the evil control, Moses and type of Jesus, and the Israelites represent us. Moses set the Israelites free from slavery so that they could worship God and experience His love. Jesus does the same. But to experience the best of life some things must get much simpler. God wants His people to worship Him and experience His rest and freedom. We all know what it is like to get too busy, even doing good things. But we miss out on an intimacy with God. In our hurried and hassled age, we are more like a herd of cattle on a stampede than a flock of sheep beside still waters.
Pray we are still enough to experience God. Pray we see clearly and yet think differently than the world. Pray we realize that waiting time is never wasting time. Pray we look at our schedule. Pray we look at our heart. Pray we realize our place at the table is not because of our actions but because of the sacrifice of Christ. Pray we realize we have been invited to the celebration of life. Pray we step out of the heavy traffic and find rest. Pray we take time to experience the grace of God. Pray we know we have a place at the Lord’s Table. Pray we experience God and enjoy a heavenly fellowship in ways that change the world.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 