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Luke 10:41-42 - One Thing is Needed.

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

Luke 10:41-42 (NLT) But the Lord said to 
her, My dear Martha, you are worried and upset 
over all these details! 42 There is only one 
thing worth being concerned about. Mary has 
discovered it, and it will not be taken away from 
her. 

INTRODUCTION

Mary and Martha both loved Jesus. On this 
occasion they were both serving him. But Martha 
thought Mary's style of serving was inferior to 
hers. She didn't realize that in her desire to 
serve, she was actually neglecting her guest. Are 
you so busy doing things 'for' Jesus that you're 
not spending any time 'with' him? [Life 
Application SB] 

COMMENTARY PEARL

The Measure of Success
   Its a slippery slope, this thing of 
self-promotion. What begins as a desire to serve Christ 
metastasizes into an act of impressing people. When that 
happens, gifted Marthas become miserable mumblers. 
It's easy to see why. If your happiness depends 
on the applause and approval of others, you'll 
yo-yo up and down, based on the fickle opinion of 
people. If noticed, you'll strut. If unnoticed, 
you'll grumble. 
   Our generation's fascination with social 
media has taken addiction to adulation to a whole 
new level. We measure success in "likes," 
"retweets," "thumbs-up," and "friends." Self-images rise 
and fall upon the whim of clicks and Facebook 
entries. Social media is social comparison on 
steroids! Does it make sense to hinge your joy on the 
unpredictable reactions and reviews of people you may not 
even know? Absolutely not! 
   Hinge your joy on the one who came to 
bring joy. [You Can Count On God by Max Lucado] 

COMMENTARY

   Mary was storing her mind with the 
precious words falling from the Saviour's lips, words 
that were more precious to her than earth's most 
costly jewels.  
   The "one thing" that Martha needed was a 
calm, devotional spirit, a deeper anxiety for 
knowledge concerning the future, immortal life, and 
the graces necessary for spiritual advancement. 
She needed less anxiety for the things which 
pass away, and more for those things which endure 
forever. Jesus would teach His children to seize 
every opportunity of gaining that knowledge which 
will make them wise unto salvation. The cause of 
Christ needs careful, energetic workers. There is a 
wide field for the Marthas, with their zeal in 
active religious work. But let them first sit with 
Mary at the feet of Jesus. Let diligence, 
promptness, and energy be sanctified by the grace of 
Christ; then the life will be an unconquerable power 
for good.  DA525-6   

We need more study, more earnest meditation 
and communion with Christ. We need to listen for 
the still small voice, and to rest by faith in 
the love of Christ. We should have a much more 
healthful experience, and become much more vigorous 
Christians. TM345-6 

Those who are ready to do service are those 
who feed most on Christ. Read and study His 
word, drink in the inspiration of His Spirit, and 
receive of His grace, not to hoard, but to give to 
others. TM345-6 

Make Time for What Matters 
   This Christmas, you need to do less, not 
more. By simplifying your life, youll have more 
enjoyment, more fulfillment, and less stress.  
   At one of the busiest times of the year, 
you need to make sure youre filling your 
calendar, your mind, and your heart with whats 
important, not trivial things that wont even matter 
in five years, much less for eternity.  
   The trivial things Im talking about 
are not evil things. You can fill your life with 
good things that keep you from spending time with 
God. You can be involved in ministry all the time 
and be so busy working for God that you dont 
leave God any time to work in you. 
   An example of this is Mary and Martha, 
who were sisters and also friends of Jesus. One 
day they invited him to their home for a meal. 
Mary sat at the feet of Jesus, listening to his 
teaching. Martha was busy worrying about the food and 
making sure everything was in place.  
   Doesnt that sound like Christmas? You 
spend months buying and wrapping gifts, decorating 
the house, putting up the lights, fixing the 
tree, sending out the cards, preparing the meals, 
planning parties. Then, when Christmas arrives, you 
realize you were so busy with the preparation that 
you didnt make any time for Jesus. 
   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!  Martha, Martha, the Lord 
answered, you are worried and upset about many 
things, but few things are needed - or indeed only 
one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will 
not be taken away from her (Luke 10:40-42 
NIV). 
   Mary knew there was one thing worth her 
time: getting to know the Son of God.  
Nothing else will matter in eternity. God 
didnt put you on Earth just to work and then 
retire. He put you here so you can get to know him.  
 
   My wish for you this Christmas is that 
you would stop, take a breath, and shift your 
focus to the one thing that matters most in this 
life: Jesus. [Daily Devotional by Rick Warren: 
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/] 

CLOSING THOUGHT

   Type A folks like Martha and me easily 
lapse into fretting and frantic control, certain 
that without our diligent attention, the planets 
would stop orbiting around the sun. Or, at the 
very least, our dinner party would flop. This 
mind-set is usually accompanied by some 
self-righteous finger-pointing at others who aren't fussing 
like I am. 
   In Matthew 6:31-33 Jesus teaches us to 
not worry over the things of this world and 
instead seek first the Kingdom. I can see the 
results of trusting that advice in my own life. When 
I risk putting Him before anything, mundane or 
monumental, I often see Him miraculously provide - the 
time, the money, the skill, the solution, or the 
wisdom not to worry. Everything is "added unto 
me." 
   My past has informed my present and so 
today, when I find myself motivated by that 
"anxious and troubled" feeling, whether because 
there's a lot of laundry to fold or some genuine 
catastrophe seems imminent, I'm able to pause long 
enough to linger at Jesus's feet and wait for His 
counsel. When I'm attentive to what He has to tell 
me, I know Ill gain perspective, find my 
priorities reordered, and feel greater peace. by 
Isabella Yosuico 
   Faith Step: Try it! Take an index card 
and write out Matthew 11:27-30. Next time you 
feel "anxious and troubled," make the choice to 
pause, breathe, and read this verse quietly a few 
times. Receive His rest. [Mornings With Jesus 2018 
Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan] 

LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY 

Luke 10:41, 42 - One Thing is Needed.

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2016/20160514-2135.html 

YOUR COMMENTS

If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or 
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either 
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in 
hearing from you.  Thanks in advance and let's keep 
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred 
Gibbs  

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

https://abible.com/links/