September 2, 2006
First Things First
READ: Luke 10:38-42
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. —Proverbs 4:7
During World War II, I served as an orthopedic technician in a hospital in England. One day we were cleaning up after putting casts on fractured limbs when I noticed some co-workers goofing off instead of helping. I didn’t hesitate to show my displeasure.
Such incidents are why I usually find myself saying a few words in defense of Martha whenever I preach on Luke 10:38-42. You’ll recall that she was “distracted with much serving” (v.40), while her sister Mary did nothing but listen to Jesus.
It’s easy for me to see Martha’s point of view. In Proverbs, more than a dozen verses rebuke the slothful. And when some first-century Christians quit working and started to freeload off others, Paul laid down the rule: “If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat” (2 Thess. 3:10).
Our approach to work must be balanced. Proverbs 4:7 says, “Wisdom is the principal thing.” Martha could have said, “Mary, dinner can wait. I’ll join you in listening to Jesus before getting started in the kitchen.”
Work is vital. But we should not be so obsessed with it that it crowds out worship and spiritual instruction.
Work hard, but keep first things first.
For more on this topic, read the online booklet
Mary & Martha: Balancing Life’s Priorities
Bible in One Year: Bible in One Year: Psalms 137-139; 1 Corinthians 13
