What a welcome

I felt the Lord whisper to me this message for the past few mornings during morning prayer in church....

Luke 10:38

"Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house"

Wow ....what an honor and what a privilege to have Jesus visit you! Was Martha thrilled to bits?

It did not seem so judging by the 'welcome' shown to Him. What was the welcome that Martha showed the Lord? 

Putting Him in a room...she probably said something like "Hey, Lord...I am pretty busy so why not you just take a seat and I make you a cup of teh tarik and you can enjoy your drink. As for me, let me just check out the chicken in the oven and set the table for our guests."

What was the Lord's reaction? It's just like my good friend came to visit me from Kemaman and I just ask her to sit in the living room while I go to fold my clothes! Let us hear more of the story...

Luke 10:39-42

"And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus's feet and heard His word. 

But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me alone to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me." Did I detect a certain sarcasm in her speech even a trace of anger or distress? 

And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her"

What kind of welcome does the Lord Jesus expect us to show Him when He shows up at our doorstep?

A welcome where we told Him what to do in our house?

The following are important things for us to do in giving Him a worthy welcome each and everyday of our lives:

1. Choices

We need to make a choice everyday. We can choose to be busy first thing in the morning and last thing at night doing things for the Lord or we can choose to be with Jesus. The correct choice is to be like Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus.

All our life consists of choices - we need to daily make a deliberate choice to spend time with the Lord to fellowship with Him and to listen to Jesus in His word. 

2. Relationships

The most important relationship for us to build is our relationship with the Lord. We can be busy building relationships with others but believe me there is nothing more important than building our relationship with Jesus. 

Mary knew the importance of this. Martha was busy building relationship with others in her serving that she has missed the most important thing - building relationship with Jesus.

3. Protection

In making the right choice to spend time with Jesus first thing in the morning or at night and in seeking to build our relationship with Him above all other relationships, we immediately come under the protection of the Lord.

We need not defend ourselves or protect ourselves or even justify ourselves. How easy it would have been for Mary to open her mouth and reply her sister and said something like "I am welcoming the Lord and fellowshipping with Him as you left Him alone in the house while you went about your chores" 

Instead she came under the Lord's protection as He spoke up for her that Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.

The Lord will be our protection when we choose to spend time with Him and to spend time fellowshipping with Him.

4. Graciousness

There is a graciousness in the answer of the Lord to Martha. He did not criticise her. He did not tell her to drop everything and to do what Mary did.

All He did was to identify and to assure Martha that He knew how she felt. Calling her name twice showed His affection for her "Martha, Martha". How wonderful to have the Lord call our name! In this case twice!

He correctly identified that Martha's complaint came about because of the many things that she had to do for the guests and for the Lord Himself. He was not scolding her, he was just assuring her that He knew what she was going through at that moment that had caused the outburst.

At the same time, sharing why Mary did what she did was reassuring to Mary that the Lord was not disconnected with her either.

There is a graciousness in our words when we spend time with others after spending time with the Lord.

This 2017 - I want to welcome the Lord into my house with the following:

1. Choices - making the right one
2. Relationship - building the right one
3. Protection - relying on the right person to defend us
4. Graciousness - speaking the right words lined with kindness and understanding