“Martha, Martha”…and Parenting
Recently at Central, I have used the account of Martha and Mary in a couple of sermons. The imagery of that text is so relatable. Mary is sitting and listening to Jesus, while Martha is just all over the place, but doing something good. Martha is (at least) frustrated with her sister and even demands that Jesus make her do her part.
Jesus, though, begins his response with “Martha, Martha.” He further tells her that she is distracted, basically because her mind is here and there. Then our Lord adds that Mary chose what was good, the “one thing” that “is necessary.”
With that, Jesus added this eternal insight: “which shall not be taken away from her.”
That one line could lead to an entire series of sermons. Or, maybe better, it could be the application portion of nearly any sermon that is ever preached. Because the thing that will not be taken away is being with Jesus–everything else is a distraction.
So, let me apply that one line in this article to one specific group of people: parents. Are we laser focused on that “one thing” for our children, or are we, like Martha, here and there?
Is it good that a child makes good grades in school? Of course. That’s a good thing. But is it the one thing that will not be taken away? A brain injury; a mean college professor…many factors could easily take that one thing away.
Is it a blessing when a child has a skill such as being athletic or musically inclined? Absolutely, and we enjoy watching that young person develop those talents. But are those types of things the one thing that cannot be taken away? A knee injury; a cruel remark from a critic…any that thing could be taken away very easily.
There are so many other examples we could use, but these two are enough to illustrate the point. We spend so much time and energy making sure our children excel in things that, like Martha’s serving, are not bad in themselves, but are not the “one thing” that will not be taken away.
Instead, we need to show them that time learning from Jesus and being more like Him is the “one thing” that matters above all else. We do that by making that our priority.
The grades may slip a little bit or they may miss a game, but is that really all that important–not in the scheme of life, but in view of eternity?
Parents, parents…let’s get this right.
AUTHOR: Adam Faughn
