CARE OVER MUCH

Do you find the day too short to complete all the things you want to get done? Do you worry about the chores you want to get completed? If you have company coming do you wear yourself out tiding up the house, get out your best china and silver ware so that your guests will be completely impressed. When they arrive are you too busy to visit with them? This seems to be the mindset of one of Jesus’ friends; of course I’m referring to a woman by the name of Martha who gladly received Jesus into her home: (Luke 10:38) "Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house." There is little doubt in my mind that she was glad to see Jesus and to have him in her home. Would you be as glad to have Jesus in your home, or would you ask Him to give you warning when He was coming so you could hide a few things that you wouldn’t want Him to see?

Martha was very concerned about being a good hostess, therefore we find her very busy with much serving: (Luke 10:40) "But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me." We also find that she had some ill feelings toward her sister Mary and confronted Jesus with her concerns. She even asked Jesus to instruct Mary to get up and help her with the serving. She may very well have been surprised at Jesus’ response: (Luke 10:41) "And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:" Don’t we sometimes find ourselves doing the same things that Martha was doing; rushing around trying to do everything we can to make our guest as comfortable as possible?

Jesus also informed Martha that Mary had chosen the “good part”: (Luke 10:42) "But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." Yes, Mary was just sitting and listening to the teaching of Jesus. All too often we don’t take the time to be taught the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus called Mary’s listening and learning the “good part” because the knowledge she was gleaning could not be taken from her. Friends, the more you learn about Jesus the more you will love Him, therefore, take the time to just sit and study or be taught about our Lord.

Are you willing to follow Jesus? Sometimes we are too concerned about things in our lives to follow Jesus. There was a certain man who said he would follow Jesus anyplace that He went: (Luke 9:57) "And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest." Jesus told this man that He didn’t have a home, nor a place to lay His head [Luke 9:58]. People are very good at making excuses; one man wanted to go and bury his father, another wanted to first go to tell those in house goodbye when he was invited to follow Jesus [Luke 9:61]. If you have begun to follow Jesus there is no turning back: (Luke 9:62) "And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." Friends when we begin to make excuse we are actually turning back and that will make us “unfit for the kingdom of God”. However, I don’t believe that these men ever began to follow Jesus and sadly many of our days may express a desire to follow Jesus but have never actually taken the first step to follow Jesus.

If you would like to follow Jesus let God know about your desires: (Phil 4:6) "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." Talk to God about it in prayer and He will and has made it possible for you to do so. Through His wisdom God inspired the apostles to write instructions of how to become a Christian. Yes, it will require that you have faith; but faith can be acquired though God’s Word; (Rom 10:17) "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." You will need to repent [Luke 13:3]. You will need to confess the name of Jesus [Rom. 10:9, 10]. And you will need to be baptized [Acts 22:16]. Then you will have to be faithful unto death [Revelation 2:10]. Don’t be found too busy to sit and listen to the gospel of Jesus Christ!