Thursday, December 19, 2024
Theme: “Welcoming the Lord Jesus Christ”
Text: Luke 10:38-42
38. As Jesus was traveling with his disciples, he entered a village, and a woman named Martha received him into her house. 39. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his word. 40. Martha, busy with various household duties, came and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me alone to serve? Tell her to help me.” 41. The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things. 42. One thing is necessary: Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her.
Let us remember:
According to the convenience of men, Martha was right. She had the obligation to prepare all the right conditions to better welcome their distinguished guest. Martha thought she was intriguing Jesus by accusing Mary of minimizing the natural food aspect of this welcome and as such, depriving Jesus of a copious meal that could have been prepared by two gifted sisters. But this is to misunderstand Jesus. Indeed, the spiritual life and especially the Christian life has demands that go beyond understanding. There are scales of priorities that come into play when it comes to making a choice between salvation and the maintenance of our body. And yet eating is not a bad thing in itself, it is not a sin to eat especially since Jesus had ended up eating the meal that Martha had made. Why did he answer Martha like this? It is because Jesus wanted Martha to prioritize listening to the teachings he gave. Consequently, Martha had not followed anything since she was preoccupied with human activities while Mary was working on the spiritual side. Martha had welcomed Jesus as an ordinary guest while Mary had welcomed a Lord and Savior. Mark 4. 4. "It is written: Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." Welcoming the Lord Jesus Christ consists first of all in receiving his Word and his grace. Excellent Thursday. Amen
Alain Louz.-
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