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Monday, May 11, 2020
“Mary…sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.” —Luke 10:39
The story Luke tells about Martha and Mary is a sneakily challenging one. In this story, Martha distractedly goes about all the work that needs to be done as she hosts Jesus and his disciples. As Martha runs around, Mary just sits and listens to what Jesus has to say.
The moral of the story seems clear: Slowing down and listening to Jesus is better than running around taking care of tasks that need to be done. And that’s not wrong, but it’s also a little confusing if taken on its own. Because there are a lot of times when Jesus taught that we should, you know, actually do stuff for each other. We can’t read the story of Martha and Mary as an excuse to sit around and avoid work.
But life is all about priorities. Life is about choosing what to focus on, how long to focus on it for, and how intently to pay attention. For some of us, it’s easy to go through a day without ever really paying much attention at all.
This story about Martha and Mary isn’t an excuse to be lazy. But it is a reminder of what the source of life and energy is. It is a warning about a life that misses out on the voice of Jesus. Let’s make today a day in which we—whether for an hour or for a minute—focus intently on what Jesus has to say.
Friday, May 8, 2020
“Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her.” – Mark 1:30-31
At once.
When Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, the disciples told Jesus about her at once. Immediately. Without hesitation and without debate.
What inspires me about these two words is that they capture the disciples’ insight about how much they needed Jesus. I am challenged by their example. I’m a ruminator, a ponderer, a dweller, a worrier. I spend a lot of time in my head. And what that means is I often turn to Jesus…eventually, after I’ve had a chance to think things over and try to figure them out for myself. I believe that bringing my cares, my ideas, my questions, and my pain to Jesus first is always the best place to start. But I need passages like this to remind me what living like that looks like. When we orient ourselves toward Jesus, when to turn to him at once with whatever we need, we are always starting in the right place, regardless of the size, scope, or severity of our concerns.
And when we turn to him, we don’t receive a cold shoulder. Our requests for help aren’t met with indifference. When Jesus learned that Simon’s mother-in-law needed healing, he “went to her, took her hand and helped her up.” He heard and he responded in the way only he could. Jesus has a heart for our suffering. Jesus responds to our requests for help as only he can. Jesus never said we need to muddle through our problems on our own, or that we can only approach him once we’ve charted out a good solution. Whatever your day holds, may you bring your needs to Jesus at once, and may you experience the guidance and healing that can only come from orienting yourself toward him.
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
“By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” – Luke 1:78-79
Luke’s gospel begins by telling us about a priest named Zechariah. Zechariah was visited by an angel and told that he will have a son who would turn people’s hearts back to the Lord and prepare the way for the Messiah. Because Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth are older and haven’t had any children up to this point, Zechariah doubts that this is possible. In response to his doubt, the angel tells Zechariah that he will be unable to speak until the birth of this baby.
Zechariah was a priest, he loved and followed God. Yet, he struggled with trusting that God would actually come through for him. But in losing his speech, every time he wanted to speak and was unable to, he is reminded of what God had promised to him. He is reminded of God’s actions in his own life and the life of all of Israel. He thinks back on all the times where God has proved to be faithful. He is reminded of God’s promise to send a messiah.
When Zechariah’s son is born, he regains his speech and immediately sings a song of praise to God which reflects this deepened understanding of the character of God. Today’s verses come from that song.
The older we get, the more we think we know. We are tempted to ignore opinions we disagree with and sometimes we’re even tempted to write off people we disagree with. Zechariah’s loss of speech put him in a position where all he could do was listen, reflect, and observe. He came out of that time establishing trust in God at a level that he otherwise would have never reached.
Zechariah reminds me that no matter how well we think we know God, there is more to learn about God. That each day provides us the opportunity for a deepened relationship with God and the opportunity to sing God’s praises to the people around us.
