Luke 10:38-42
Good morning, church family. I am grateful to be with you today. For our first devotional together, I want to begin with something simple and foundational: the priority of being with Jesus.
In Luke 10, Jesus enters a home where two sisters respond to Him in different ways. Martha welcomes Him and immediately begins serving. Mary, however, sits at Jesus’ feet and listens to His word.
Martha is not doing something wrong in itself. Hospitality matters. Serving matters. Being responsible matters. The issue is not that Martha is working—it is what is happening inside her as she works. Scripture says she was “distracted with much serving.” That word distracted is important. It carries the sense of being pulled in different directions—pressured, overloaded, scattered. Moreover, when we are pulled apart inside, even good ministry can begin to produce unhealthy fruit: impatience, resentment, comparison, and eventually complaint.
That is exactly what happens. Martha comes to Jesus and says, in effect, “Lord, do You not care? Tell my sister to help me.” Notice this: her stress has reached the point where she assumes Jesus is indifferent, and she begins to judge someone else’s devotion.
Jesus responds with gentleness and clarity: “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary.” Then He says, “Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
Church, this is a word we need—not just as individuals, but as a congregation: Jesus is not merely part of the Christian life. He is the center of it. It is possible to be busy with religious activity and yet become spiritually thin. It is possible to serve Christ and, at the same time, slowly drift from communion with Christ. That is why Jesus calls us back to the “one thing necessary.”
Mary’s posture is not laziness. It is worship. She recognizes something essential: before we can do much for Jesus, we must first receive from Jesus. The “good portion” is not a method, a schedule, or a personality type. The good portion is Christ Himself—His presence, His word, His heart.
This is also how we guard our unity as a church. When Christ is central, service becomes joyful rather than competitive. Ministry becomes a partnership rather than a comparison. People are not measured by how visible their work is, but by whether we are walking closely with the Lord. When we sit at Jesus’ feet, we gain patience for one another, clarity for decision-making, and strength for long obedience.
So here is my invitation for us this week—simple, concrete, and realistic:
Take 10 minutes each day—no multitasking—open one of the Gospels and read a short passage. Then pray one honest prayer: “Lord Jesus, help me to be with You before I try to do for You. Reorder my loves. Calm my anxieties. Teach me Your ways.”
If you miss a day, do not spiral into guilt—return. The point is not perfection; the point is presence. Jesus is not trying to load you with more pressure—He is calling you to Himself.
Let us be a church that serves—yes—but serves from overflow. Let us be a church that works—yes—but is not distracted. Let us choose, together, the good portion that cannot be taken away.
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