We all have that moment when we think the presence of Jesus is the least important thing in our lives. There is too much to prepare for; life is busy, so the moment all this is going on, we easily put aside being in the presence of Jesus. I get it because I have many times gotten so busy with other things while Jesus just wanted me to be in his presence. I have missed opportunities to be with Jesus because I was distracted and frustrated by the preparations. I know I am not the only one, so to you, that was been distracted and frustrated with the preparations, it may be time to be in the presence of Jesus.

Just likE MARTHA

I have been watching the show The Chosen, and if you have not yet, I highly recommend it. I watched the episode that told the story of Martha and Mary and loved how well it showed the difference between the two women. Growing up in the church, going as far back as Sunday school, we know we were taught this story and the lesson we could learn from it. We were taught as children that being in the presence of Jesus was of the utmost importance. The teaching and lesson remain, except we grow and may have a lot more responsibility, distractions, and frustrations, so the presence of Jesus sometimes becomes less important. Just like Martha, we toil away in our kitchens (life) alone and forget the importance of Jesus’s presence.

For those of you who may not know Martha, let me introduce her to you and an important lesson we can learn from her. This particular story in Luke 10:38-42 gives us a glimpse into Martha’s life. She welcomes people into her home and from all the effort she puts into it, seems like second nature. Martha is receiving a special guest, and preparations are ongoing to ensure the special guest receives the very best. This is great! This special guest is Jesus! He deserves the very best. So she toils away in the kitchen to make sure there is a well-prepared meal ready for Jesus. While she toils away in the kitchen, her sister Mary decides to stay at the feet of Jesus and listen to him. She chooses to be in the presence of Jesus. To Martha this is not fair, her sister could be helping her prepare, but instead, she stays in the presence of Jesus? Is that even fair? Because I am like Martha sometimes, I totally understand her feelings at the moment. In the lens of Martha, what she is doing is of utmost importance, her sister should also treat it the same way. Her sister’s decision to be with Jesus frustrates her and eventually upsets her to the point she brings it up to Jesus. What Martha fails to realize at this moment is Jesus, the son of God is in her presence. Her preparations for Jesus were not wrong, and I am sure she was sincere in her desire to serve Jesus. However, this did not matter to Jesus, what mattered was Martha joining her sister Mary to partake in his presence. Being in Jesus’s presence still matters to him for us as well. If we could only step away from our kitchens and decide to join him.

Preparations vs presence

After reading Luke 10: 38-42, it is quite easy to tell if you have been more of a Martha or a Mary. Have you been more concerned about the preparations that you have entirely ignored the presence of Jesus? Or have you put all your preparations on hold just so that you can lean into the presence of Jesus? Let us compare preparation and presence, both are not bad things to to by the way, but each has its timing and if well balanced, could work incredibly well. With preparation from our example of Martha, preparations were distracting, frustrating, and brought unawareness of what matters in the moment. For Mary who chose the presence of Jesus, she experienced joy, revelation through his teaching, and closeness with God. Given a choice, I would decide like Mary did and hope you would too. An opportunity to be in the presence of Jesus surpasses all the preparations. I know that the decision is easier said than done especially for nature Marthas who are typically overtaken by the preparations. To us all I say, let us not miss any opportunity to be in the presence of Jesus because we are distracted. Martha nearly missed a physical moment in Jesus’s presence, let us not do the same by missing his presence in the spirit. Our spirit lets us know when we have put preparations above presence, and so we are pushed towards his presence. With the push of the spirit to be in the presence of Jesus, we desire his word, to pray, to obey, and to draw closer to him. Remember this is of utmost importance above the preparation. There are many amazing things you can receive just by being in the presence of Jesus. Jesus says to you;

I am the Vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for [otherwise] apart from Me [that is, cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing. -John 15:5 AMP-

It is time to take your rightful place. It is time to trade thorns for crowns!

Much love,

Xholiwe