THE ONE THING – 11-03-2021

THE ONE THING
November 03, 2021

Prayer: Lord, make me sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Help me to see the opportunities that you provide to get to know my students and to truly engage with them. Focus my mind and heart on what truly matters, and keep me from becoming overwhelmed with all the tasks of the day. Help me keep my sight on the one thing that is necessary: relationship with you and with the people you have placed in my life. Amen

Scripture: Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42 ESV

As teachers it might be rather easy for us to relate to Martha’s nurturing and hospitable spirit. She invites Jesus into her home and sets about preparing the environment for him to truly rest and feel welcomed. However, Martha is so concerned with all the necessary tasks, such as cooking a meal, setting the table, and perhaps even preparing lodging for the night, that she misses actually engaging with Jesus. She is rather annoyed with her idle sister who has chosen to sit at Jesus’ feet and hear the stories from his long journey towards Jerusalem. In her frustration, Martha dares to ask Jesus to reprimand Mary for her laziness. However, Jesus in turn, gently rebukes Martha for her busyness and neglect of what truly matters. Martha certainly must have been taken aback by this unexpected response, even though it was necessary for her to hear.

The story of Martha and Mary is one that has always resonated with me. As teachers, our goal is to create a positive learning environment for our students. This often leads to many hours of work outside of our typical schedules to create engaging lessons, prepare activities, organize and decorate our classrooms, give feedback on assignments, and so on. It is easy to get caught up in all the to-dos and to fill our days to capacity. This also can carry into the school day with our students. We can easily become distracted by all that needs to be completed and hurry through our day. Often, when we reach the end of the day, we are weary from all the serving and doing. Perhaps we even feel like Martha and wish that someone would step in and help us.

When Martha was at her wit’s end, Jesus reminded her of where her heart and her attention should be focused. Mary engaged in relationship with Jesus as she sat at his feet and listened. Martha, on the other hand, neglected truly knowing Jesus by not spending time with him.

So what does this imply for us as teachers? First, we need to make sure that we are taking time to truly rest at the feet of Jesus (Matthew 11:28-30). He has promised to renew us and to give us strength for each day (Isaiah 40:31). Secondly, the story of Martha and Mary should serve as a reminder to slow down and be willing to set aside well laid plans for the sake of relationship. The time we have with our students is incredibly valuable in their formation. When we rush through our day, we potentially miss opportunities from the Lord that are instrumental in shaping who our students become. Slow down, listen to the Spirit’s prompting, and do not neglect the one necessary thing- relationship.

Copyright by Christine Sipos.  To connect with the author, email [email protected]

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