A Mary, Martha Easter
- Apr 29
- 4 min read
I know it seems a bit late for an Easter recap, but sometimes it takes a moment for us to step back and truly process, to see what God was speaking to us. At least this is true in my life. I tend to be the girl running at a mile a minute pace, determined to achieve, be productive, receive the top marks, to get it all done. Not just bare minimum done, but done with excellence and at times over the top extraness.
My to-do lists are often longer than the hours in my day and or my motivation. My goals are never ending and my brain never truly stops turning. Anyone else relate? Just me? cool... if you didn't relate this coffee chat may not be for you, but I hope you listen along anyway.
Lets begin with I love Easter. I think it is the reason Christmas is meaningful. Without Easter Christmas simple becomes another man's birthday and how sad would that be for us. We need a Savior, a Redeemer, a Rescuer of Hearts and that is what Easter celebrates. This year for Easter my parents were in town visiting for all of Holy week and it was truly the sweetest time. For those who know me, you know that hosting is one of my favorite things to do and above that is spending time with my family.
Additionally I love making space for friends to become family. Since we got married my husband and I have hosted whoever is around and wants to come to our house for holidays. This Easter was no different and we had the pleasure of two friends join us it was delightful. In typical Erika fashion I tried to do all the things and I am not the best at asking for or accepting help. Please know that ALL of my family offered and did help in tremendous ways when it came to preparing the meal. Still though my focus was on the meal, our outfits for Easter morning, if everything was set and ready to go. It was not on the true meaning of Easter.
Crazy right? I had spent the weeks before creating lessons for students on what the true meaning of Easter is and how it is not about the Easter Baskets and bunnies. (Check out Raising Arrows Bible Corner on Youtube for that series). Yet here I was with a misaligned focus. Did it mean I had a bad Easter? No, I still had such a precious time loving on and being loved by friends and family. Did it mean my Easter wasn't worshipful? No, I still worshiped. In fact I got to worship holding my baby girl standing next to my mom it was so sweet. As I was reflecting I just felt the Lord prompting my heart towards "I had more for you."
In the story of Mary and Martha, Jesus isn't upset that Martha is working. He knows that that without her there would be no food or clean beds for them to sleep on. What he was correcting was the status of her heart. She had a heart that was having a pity party, she was complaining, she was might I take a guess, jealous of her younger sister Mary? As an older sister I can practically hear the internal dialogue of;
It must be nice to be Mary and have all that freedom and sit at Jesus's feet. I would like to sit at Jesus's feet, but then who would do all these dishes and do they think this fish is just going to fry themselves? These floors need to be sweeped and she always leaves her shoes by the door when company comes. Doesn't Jesus care about what I need? He should tell her to help me. Mary is always the favorite
This account obviously is not truth, but my interpretation. But perhaps you have had those moments too. Jesus never said Mary chose the right thing. He said that she chose the better thing. Often the devil uses good things to distract us from the heart of Jesus. The sole mission of the enemy is to pull us away from sitting at the feet of Jesus and to isolate us. It is not about whether or not you should clean the kitchen or prepare the food, it is about priorities. Is loving and living for Jesus coming BEFORE the pride you have in a tidy home. Are you listening to the promptings of the Holy Spirit in how to steward the tasks before you and let people walk in their giftings/callings by helping you?
Friend, I pray this week's coffee chat moves you to quiet spaces. I pray that it takes you to the feet of Jesus for heart examination as it did me. Not because He wants to scold us or be upset with us, but because He loves us. He wants us to walk in the better thing. He knows that right living offers us freedom from our burdens and lightens our hearts to the "more" that He has for us in every season. In the story of Mary and Martha there are lessons to be learned from BOTH women. May we hold those lessons near the front of our minds this week as we love in all the spaces we are called too.
Check out our Mother's Day Activity Bundle! Download today and have activities ready for your kids this afternoon!
Comments