Luke 10:41-42

A reader asked Emily Post, "What is the correct procedure when one is invited to the White House and has a previous engagement?" She answered, "An invitation to lunch or dine at the White House is a command, and automatically cancels any other engagement."

Now what is the correct procedure when one is invited to know and learn from Jesus, but there are previous engagements? The invitation to meet with Jesus automatically cancels any other engagement.

A friend of Jesus named Martha needed to learn this. She thought that her devoted service to Jesus came ahead of her devoted listening to Jesus' teaching. Her sister Mary better understood her priorities.

Jesus and his disciples came to visit the sisters in Bethany, not far from Jerusalem. The sisters prepared places for the disciples to rest, to eat, to wash, and to enjoy their friendship. Martha got busy. They had so much to do. But Mary did not help Martha with this work. Instead, Mary sat at Jesus' feet listening to what he said. She chose to hear Jesus first and serve him later. Martha chose to serve Jesus first. Would she have any time left later to hear Jesus? Only if she got all her duties done!

Jesus said, "Mary has chosen what is better."

Someone once said that you could summarize all the world's religions in two words:  "do" and "done." The "do" religions tell followers to do all kinds of works in order to obtain blessings from God. Service to God comes first. The "done" religion says Jesus did all your work for you. Listening to this good news about Jesus comes first.

Jesus has given us the "done" religion. Our service to God, no matter how constant and devoted, will never merit his favor. Why? Even the good things we do have the taint of sin, marking them as unholy and unworthy before a perfect God.

Jesus' work had no taint of sin. Indeed, he came to take away all of our sins. On his cross he did not say, "I did as much as I could . . . now you do the rest." He said, "It is finished!" Because of that great message, we will listen to Jesus first, then serve him later out of thanks and love for what he has done.