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There was a man who met God in a lovely valley one day and God (already knowing), asked the man, “How are you doing today” to which the man replied, “I’m doing fine, thanks for asking. Is there anything you need done?” God replied, “Why yes, there is something I need done, I have a wagon with three stones in it, and I need for someone to pull it up the hill for me. Are you willing? The young man looked in the wagon and seeing the three stones told God, “Sure, that doesn’t look too difficult, I can do that. Where would you like me to take the rocks?
God sketched directions in the dust on the side of the road and said, “Go through the woods and up the road that winds up the side of the hill. Once you get there just leave the wagon there. Thank you for your willingness to help me today.”
“NO PROBLEM!” The man replied and set off cheerfully. The wagon pulled a bit behind him, but the burden was an easy one. The man began to whistle as he walked quickly through the forest as the sun peeked through the trees and warmed his back. What a joy to be able to help the Lord he thought as he enjoyed the beautiful day. Just around the third bend, the man walked into a small village. People smiled and greeted him. Then, at the last house, a man stopped him and asked, “How are you this morning? What a nice wagon you have, where are you off to?” The man replied with a smile, “God gave me a job to do, I have to deliver these thee little rocks up to the top of the mountain.” The man who stopped him proclaimed, “My goodness! Can you believe it?” I was just praying this morning about how I was going to get this rock I have up to the top of the mountain. You don’t suppose you could take my one rock up there for me do you? It would be an answer to prayer. The man with the wagon replied, “NO problem, put it on the back. I think I can handle it.”
Then he left and was stopped at another little village and while being offered a glass of cider was asked to take a little bag of rocks up to the top of the mountain. “NO problem he replied, put it in the back, I think I can handle it.”
The wagon seemed a bit heavier and he could feel the jolt of each bump, and the wagon seemed to pull from side to side a bit. The man stopped to adjust the load a bit as he sang a hymn of praise and thought surely God will be there to help me unload. With each little village he received more rocks until the wagon felt fuller and fuller and his arms and shoulders were aching as though they were going to be pulled out of their sockets. The songs of praise that had filled his heart had long since left as his lips felt resentment building inside.
Surely this wasn’t the sign God had given him, surely God didn’t mean for it to be this tough? OH GOD HE WAILED, THIS IS TOO TOUGH! As he prayed God came along his side and said, “Sounds like you’re having a hard time. What seems to be the problem?” The man replied, “You gave me a job that was too hard, I’m just not made for this.”
“What is this?” God asked as he held up a bag of pebbles? “OH, that belongs to my friend John, he didn’t have time to bring it up himself so I thought I would bring it up.” “And this?” God asked as He continued to unload the wagon, removing both light and heavy objects as they fell to the ground and the dust rose high. The man who had hoped to help God grew silent as God stated, “If you’ll be content to let others take their own burdens, I will help you with your burdens. For when you are weighed down with everyone else’s burdens you cannot do what I have asked of you.”
The man jumped to his feet, suddenly realizing the freedom God was offering him. “You mean I only have to take the three stones after all,” he asked? That is what I asked you to do, God replied with a smile, ‘My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ I will never ask you too carry more than you can.” “I CAN DO THAT”, the man replied with a grin as he grabbed the horse’s reins and set off once again not noticing anything but rejoicing in the name of God. A new song filled his lips, and he noticed a fragrant breeze on his face as he traveled down the road. With great joy he reached the mountaintop and did what God asked him to do.
Luke 10:38-42
Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village; and a woman named Martha received him into her house. And Martha had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to Jesus teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving; and she went to Jesus and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then that I need her to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her.”
The day Jesus visited Martha and Mary was probably busier than usual, for the Feast of the Tabernacles was near, and the house was filled with cooking and activity, busy activity for there was much to do in preparation. The Feast of the Tabernacles held in the early fall was one of three feasts every adult male Jew was required to come to Jerusalem to celebrate and it lasted seven days, followed by a special Sabbath. So, when Martha invited Jesus to stay at her home the hospitality was warmly accepted. And Martha continued with her task, making sure everything was fine so everyone else could worship. And the thought of joining Jesus never occurred to her, for she had tasks to accomplish.
But even welcome wagons can grow heavy, as Martha quickly came to realize, when they are laden with additional human agendas and expectations.
In studying the Bible, if you examine Jesus life Jesus came to earth and immediately tipped the Jewish wagonload of rules and regulations. Jesus hit the religious leadership right where it hurt-smack dab in the middle of their spiritual pride. “And”, Jesus said, “Woe to you lawyers also for you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourself do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.” (Luke 11:46)
To those helpless under the weight of the law, Jesus became a burden bearer: “Come unto me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28.
And Jesus told the rich young ruler in Mark 10:21:
“And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing; go sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; and come follow me.”
In your life are you so busy… Martha, being a servant that you miss out on living? Are you so busy thinking what I have to do, what I need to accomplish? I don’t want to look like a fool, it has to be perfect for I don’t want anyone thinking I can’t do it right, that you miss out on the sunrise of life?
Maybe you try so hard to have the house looking spotless, the children behaving well, the car and the truck, and the grass and the shrubs and the soil around them edged and looking weed less and perfect that you missed the chipmunk resting under the hedge and eating. Maybe you missed out on your loved ones hug for you were too busy… Martha, and the busier you became the more your blood pressure went up, the more you made it be known verbally and non-verbally, JUST LEAVE ME ALONE I NEED MY SPACE! WHAT DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND? Sound familiar?
I have taken the journey with many as they lay on their death bed and I have listened closely and learned what not to do with my life. I do not believe that Luke 10:38-42, pertains to women only, for I believe the business of Martha can also be the business of a man. I have never heard anyone on their deathbed wish they had spent more time at the office, spent more time cleaning the house, spent more time making sure everything was clean and spotless so when you are in their presence you feel sterile and not as in you cannot have anymore children but as in you’re afraid to have indigestion or breathe.
The “Martha’s” of life I have met… on their deathbed, incarcerated, have told me one thing, “I wish I had, I could, spend more time with those I love.” “I wish,” five letters of regret that the hands of time cannot turn back to change. If you could change one “I wish” today what would it be in your life?
Put your name in Martha’s name, “But the Lord answered her, “Walter, Walter, you are anxious and troubled about many things; one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her.”
What did Mary choose that will not be taken away from her? Notice the key word, choice, what choice can we make that cannot be taken away?
Galatians 3:1-5:
O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? Did you experience so many things in vain-if it really is in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?
I like how Paul asks, “Are you so foolish,” for often we become so involved in what we have to do… Martha, that we become foolish in our ways and become of this world, I HAVE TO DO THIS AND THIS, AND I DON’T HAVE TIME TO CUDDLE WITH YOU AND OR TALK RIGHT NOW. I HAVE A LIST TO DO AND I CAN’T SIT AT YOUR FEET RIGHT NOW JESUS! CAN’T YOU SEE THAT I’M BUSY? And then one day it pays off… Martha, as you receive your reward. “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, to the earth where we came from we must return.”
Jesus has told us only one thing is needed in this world, follow me and you will be free.
Who are you following… Martha? Is your load heavy as you load it down with too much too please this world?
I challenge you to let go of that of this world that you don’t need Martha and then and only then will your back not feel broken.
Your shoulders not hurt, your feet not struggle too maintain, for only then will you be truly free to feel the presence of Christ in your life too be present for the ones you love. Only one thing is needed, put down that of this world and trust in Jesus, trust in love, for only then may one truly be free.
My diary reads,
Did you hear the birds chirp this morning? Did you see the sun rise? Did you hear the beauty of silence that night can bring? Or did you hear the puppy sigh in the night as she laid there so content and warm?
“Did You”, two words, only two words with six letters that can create happiness or sadness depending upon did you or didn’t you. Don’t you wake up one morning and realize that life has passed you by, because you were too busy to be yourself. Do yourself a favor in life, instead of “Did you do it” do take the time to hear the bird chirp, see the sun rise; hear the beauty of silence, of a content puppies sigh.
Don’t grow old and sit in your rocking chair with your grandchild looking up at you and asking, “Grandma, did you,” and all you can do is think and wipe a tear from your eye because You Did allow life to pass you by.”
Let us pray,
Shackled by a heavy burden ‘neath this load of sin and guilt. Then the hand of Jesus touched me and now I’m no longer the same. He touched me, oh He touched me and oh the joy I felt in my heart. Something happened and now I know. He touched me and set me free. Father God, there are those here at this second who find it hard to have a Mary heart living in a Martha world. I pray that the Martha’s of this world can let go and let God be in charge for to have NO Jesus is to have NO peace. To KNOW Jesus is to KNOW peace in one’s life. Life is for living let us not become so Martha oriented that we miss out on the touch of a loved one’s hand, a sunrise, a sunset. Amen
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