Better Relationships, Better Life
Day 9: How Jesus Dealt with Grievances - Better Relationships, Better Life
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But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42. All four Gospels include an account of Jesus throwing the money-changers out of the temple (Matthew 21:12; Mark 11:15; Luke 19:45-46; John 2:15). His grievance is that their behavior is sinful--turning the Lord's house into a "den of robbers" instead of a house of prayer. His response in this instance was bold and direct, pointing out the sin and commanding immediate change. His response to Martha's grievance against her sister Mary was very different: "As they continued their travel, Jesus entered a village. A woman by the name of Martha welcomed him and made him feel quite at home. She had a sister, Mary, who sat before the Master, hanging on every word he said. But Martha was pulled away by all she had to do in the kitchen. Later, she stepped in, interrupting them. 'Master, don't you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me? Tell her to lend me a hand.' The Master said, 'Martha, dear Martha, you're fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it--it's the main course, and won't be taken from her'" (Luke 10:38-42, MSG). You can hear the frustration in Martha's words. She was scurrying around, preparing food for all of their guests. Wiping sweat from her brow, she looked over to see her sister "lazing about" at Jesus' feet. Martha felt abandoned, as if she had the weight of all this entertaining on her shoulders. She brought her complaint to Jesus, perhaps expecting that He would scold Mary and tell her to get with the program. The response Jesus gave forced Martha (and those listening) to take a step back from her grievance. He encouraged Martha not to get so wrapped up in the everyday that she missed this opportunity to literally move closer to Jesus. He wanted her to stop worrying about whether there would be enough bread for all of the guests and instead drink deeply from the living water that only He offered. Jesus focused on the spiritual issue, not the particulars that matter so much to us in this world. His response emphasized removing those things that got in the way of the people moving closer to Him and His Father who sent Him. Jesus addressed the imperfection or grievance for the other person's benefit, not His own. His goal was for Martha to spend more energy on her relationship with Him than in the kitchen. With Jesus as our example, how can we deal with grievances and imperfections in our own relationships? Excerpt from Better Relationships, Better Life. If you enjoyed today's devotional, check out more from goTandem books.
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