Hands of Martha and Mary's heart

Mary, Martha and Jesus

Joao Cruzue

Yesterday, when I went down to pray in the living-roon, I asked Lord to speak with me. So, before praying I opened the Bible and I felt God speaking with my heart. As I use to do, I am now here to share what I've heard. By the first time, I could see a beautiful link between the Martha’s house episode and the parable of the good samaritan.

Speaks with me Lord, through your Holy Word – I asked Him for. You well know there are some days we have more needs to pray, and this week has been specially tough for several motives. I needed to knock, to seek and ask for a urgent help.

An old fellow has been doing chemotherapy; a very close friend. He was co-pastor with me for six years in the past. Now he has a cancer. Another case: the wife of a minister, coleague of mine, had two heart stops; in the last one, she remained out for half an hour and her brain had irreversible damages. She lays in a ITU bed, it makes quite three months. And to end that needs, last week I did a visit to one pastor, from the time of my youth, and he is cripple for 12 years in a wheel-chair due to a brain hemorrhage. He never went back to church. He insists to be healed first, to reapear after a great miracle before his church. I asked him what he has been done to use fill his time, and he responded he just close the eyes and pray all the day long.

As I opened the Bible, I was before Luke chapter ten and Jesus was in the Martha and Mary’s house. Aside, in this page, there is the parable of good samaritan. A very known subject, yet he became fresh and new to me, yesterday.

The concerning of Martha was her serving. Cleaning, aranjing, cooking, really worried about the dinner delay. Time was passing by and nor even a little help from her sister. Mary, sat down before the Lord Jesus, she heard and felt his heart warming by that heavenly words, she listened to the Master. I can imagine that, by remembering from some services where the presence of the Lord was strongly felt among us.

Martha was concerned of serving and Mary listened, listened and wished to listen more that words. Then, Martha, apprehensive for do not get his job on time, gave orders to Jesus: “Do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Bid her, therefore, that helps me.”

Communication is a good thing, we do need to to do it. But communion is something better and deeper. Anyone of us can speak to each other and say: good-morning, good-evening, talk about time and politics, and even pray togheter. But not one of these subjects means communion. For instance: my wife and I have two daughters. One is already married and the youngster has a boyfriend that comes to see her in my home. Imagine you, that I go down to the living-roon and take a seat before them, and remain this way for all Sunday afternoon. Both can talk to various subject, but I bet, not any of them is going to say to another words like: “ I love you”.

Now, here we are in 2008, the beginning of the XXI Century. Too busy, concerned, without time to anything, maybe giving orders to Jesus, in a "running-running", "preaching-preaching", "singing-singing", "writing-writing" – al the days in the week: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday... We are serving? Yes! We are working hard? Yes! We are fatiguing, Yes! But why we are crop so few?

We have no time at all to be in communion with Lord. We are no more as a impassioned couple. Jesus wants to hear and also to speak with us, but we are just mechanicly serving and we lost the perseption of that. We are mistaken on thinking if we multiply our tasks will be effective and our Church, department or choir will be blessed and greater than never. Thus, we are changing six to a half-dozen or to do much noise without results, because we have no more guidance from the Lord.

And, the consequence of that can be understood so: “Then Jesus answered and said: "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side.

But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you”

To whom shall I compare that priest and levite? They are likewise as the hands of Martha. Both saw that wounded man, but they felt nothing. They are dried of compassion. An estrange and unexpected attitude. They had theology, maybe the priest, a divinity graduation. They had all spiritual tools to be effectives... But they failed. Some time along the Way they became insensible.

Who was that samaritan? Maybe Jesus was speaking about a man alike himself. Although he is God, for many times in the Bible we can see him putting time apart, primarily at night, to be praying, in communion with Aba Father. From that samaritan, according to jewish culture, everything could be unexpected but compassion longanimity and generosity. He has a heart alike Mary.

And it was so, that I heard God’s Word, before praying, that it doesn’t matter how engaged we be in great visions or projects, before the eyes of our friends or before own ours . If we are not getting see with compassion any needs around us, how can we preach and present Jesus to this World? We must re-priorize our things. Communion is primary, while serving, secondary. We need a Mary’s heart to turn merciful, ours hands of Martha.

Then Jesus said "Go and do likewise."

Author: Joao Cruzue
Brazil 02/10/2008
mailto me: cruzue@gmail.com
I want to know your testimony of faith

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