10th December – Luke 10

10

Luke 10

Valerie Sparks

Valerie Sparks is a Reader at St. Hilary’s Church.  She is married with two adult children and enjoys reading and non- strenuous walks in the local area.
I’m meeting up with a friend this week.  We spoke last month about getting together and this was the first week we were both able to find a ‘window’, as the saying goes, at the same time.  A common occurrence in life today, I fear.  Our lives are full of places we need to go or things we need to do.  Busyness is very much part of our 21st century lifestyle.
 Chapter 10 of Luke’s Gospel is full of going and doing.  “Go!  I am sending you out like lambs among wolves,” Jesus tells the seventy-two as he sends them ahead of him in twos (v3).  The punchline of the parable of the Good Samaritan which follows is “Go and do” (v37).  Then comes the little story of Martha and Mary where Martha is busy ‘going’ and ‘doing’.  Yet Jesus appears to reprimand her for her busyness when she comes to him with her complaint about Mary and demands that he tell Mary to help her.
 So often we use this little story to categorise ourselves; “I’m a Martha”; “I’m a Mary”.   But there’s more to it than that.  Jesus is not blaming Martha for being the practical busy person without whom life would soon come to a standstill.  He is gently telling her to stop flapping.  Her worries about all the preparations that had to be made were distracting her from what was more important – time with Jesus.
 Sometimes distractions can be a problem in our relationship with God.  In fact it’s possible to hide behind our busyness.  The Anglican nun, Sister Kirsty, in her book ‘The Choice’ suggests that ”we fill our lives with activity to avoid facing what God really wants of us”.
 At this time of year, as Christmas approaches, it’s all too easy to be ‘distracted by all the preparations’ that have to be made and to lose sight of the One who is ‘the reason for the season’.  At this time, at all times, it is vital that we find time each day to ‘sit at the feet of Jesus’ in Bible reading and prayer.  For it is only by so doing that we can be equipped for discipleship – equipped to ‘go and do’.
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