At this time of the year, just prior to attending the Feast of Tabernacles, our minds tend to be focused on all the physical preparations which need to be done. If we are traveling by car, we want to ensure the tires and brakes are in good condition; that the oil is changed, and also taking care of any minor repairs that need to be done, so that we can make it safely to the Feast site.
We want to be certain that our clothes are clean, and we try to think of all the things we will need while being at the Feast.
We can get a bit bogged down with all the physical preparations and in one sense develop a Martha syndrome.
When Christ was visiting Mary and Martha, Mary was sitting at Christ’s feet, listening to what He had to say, absorbing and drinking in the spiritual food, while Martha was busy with physical preparations. She was pre-occupied with all the physical things which she felt had to be done, and her sister was not helping her.
Now let us look at Luke 10:38-42 to see how Christ evaluated the situation:
“Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ 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 to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.’
“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.’”
Physical preparations are important, but Mary had her priorities straight .
I recall about twenty-five years ago when we were expecting to have company and I was busy cleaning and dusting prior to the guests’ arrival, that my wife Delia said to me: “Don’t worry about a little bit of dust, what will they remember after leaving here? That they saw a little dust on the furniture or that they had a good time?”
There is an important lesson to be learned in what Christ said in regard to the spiritual things Mary was focused on.
We need to prepare physically to attend the Feast, but more importantly, we need to be prepared mentally and in good health to take in the spiritual food that will be presented at the Feast. There will be more than eleven main messages plus sermonettes, as well as a Bible study–a banquet of spiritual food which is supposed to last and sustain us for close to six months until the spring Holy Days. And when we choose that good part, it will not be taken away from us.
