HINDRANCES TO DYNAMIC RELATIONSHIP

"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" (Luke 10:38). 

There are three principal characters in the story signaled off by today's Scripture for meditation - Martha, Mary and Jesus. I want us to quickly pick up a lesson from each of these personalities. 

Reading through our passage, it occurred to me for the first time that Martha was the owner of the house in which Lazarus and Mary lived. I really never realized that she was the chief hostess of Jesus and His team. Considering the fact that Jesus would have had between twelve and seventy people with Him, that must mean that Martha was a woman of substance. Here then is the lesson to learn: our substance, wealth or status should never be allowed to become a hindrance to a dynamic relationship with the Lord. Indeed, all through the ages, people of substance are known by the fact that they receive the Lord Jesus, not just in their homes but also in their lives. The Bible is full of examples of men and women of great substance who walked with God in exemplary manners. From Noah, a man of great substance who singlehandedly built that virtual world on water, to Joseph of Arimathaea, the disciple of Jesus who underwrote Jesus' burial expenses, and to Lydia, the cloth merchant of Thyatira, the consistent testimony of Scriptures is that people of substance make provision for God in their lives. 

The second lesson to pick from our passage is taken from the life of Mary. This is that we as believers must by our conduct always give the Lord a reason to come to our defense. Martha was busy in the kitchen while her sister Mary sat by the feet of Jesus, listening to His words. Martha then came with a complaint to Jesus about Mary's conduct. Perhaps she expected the Lord to rebuke Mary, but she met with a shocker. The Lord Jesus didn't even allow Mary to give an answer. He promptly defended her, saying that Mary had done what was right, needful and acceptable to God. Martha's complaints may be legitimate, but Jesus' response was even more authoritatively legitimate, cancelling the legitimacy of Martha's complaints. The point is that when our walk with the Lord is correct, whatever people may have against us shall not be able to stand. It reminds me of the Scripture that says, "When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him" (Proverbs 16:7). 

Finally, with regards to Jesus, the clear lesson to take home here is that purpose is more important than pleasure. The moment Jesus entered the house, He straightaway began to impart spiritual values into whosoever would hear by way of teaching. That was His purpose for coming to the world and He was urgent on fulfilling it, despite the fact that He must have been wearied from His journey. Jesus' purpose defined His conduct here and everywhere. His purpose determined whom He identified with, how He related to people, and His responses to whatever was going on around Him. Although Jesus knew and appreciated the fact that Martha was making nutritional provisions for Him and His team, it was clear from His actions that He didn't come to the world to eat food, and He left no one in doubt about that. 

Now, let's put it all together. To live a fulfilled life here on earth with a sure prospect for heaven, we must prioritize our relationship with God. Status or substance should never be allowed to come between us and the Lord. Rather, we should take advantage of wherever God has placed us, and use whatever God has given us to serve the Lord and enhance our relationship with Him. God must mean more to us than anything else. And we must always be conscious of our divine purpose wherever we find ourselves.