Stress: Jesus & Martha

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Which of you, by being anxious, can add a cubit to his height Luke twelve twenty five. Heavenly Father, were gently reminded of the futility of our anxieties and the peace your presence brings in a world of uncertainties. This scripture comforts our souls teaches us the beauty of surrendering our worries into your capable hands. We thank you God for the promise of your peace that surpasses all understanding. Help us to trust in your timing and plan, releasing our grip on the things we cannot control. May we find rest in the knowledge that you are sovereign, caring for us in ways beyond our comprehension. Encourage our hearts to seek your kingdom first, knowing that as we do, you will care for our needs. Let this assurance settle over our spirits, allowing us to live each day with joy and gratitude, free from the weight of worry. In the name of Jesus, our source of peace, we pray Amen. Thank you for praying with me today. You're listening to the Jesus Podcast. Remain here to immerse yourself in a heartwarming story about stress and slowing down to be at the feet of Jesus. Follow this podcast on whatever platform you're listening to. Doing so will keep you updated, but also help us get discovered by more people. We want the story of Jesus to be known throughout the world. Thanks for making that possible. 00:02:04 Speaker 2: Has the dope been k needed twice? Mary? I needed to be needed twice or else it won't rise correctly. Lazarus, have you brought the extra pillows in from the upper room. 00:02:13 Speaker 3: I don't know how many guests will be here. 00:02:15 Speaker 1: Martha paced in and out of the kitchen minyard. She plucked herbs from her small garden, returned to the kitchen, and then returned to sweep the dust she trailed in. Mary and Lazarus had seen their sisters dressed, but never to this degree. She was in constant motion, straightening every pot and polishing every plate. 00:02:38 Speaker 3: Martha, it's only Jesus. 00:02:40 Speaker 2: We've known him since we've had children, Yes, but that was before we knew he was the Messiah. Lazarus, everything has changed everything. I'm not sure Jesus cares about the. 00:02:52 Speaker 1: Pottery, Mary added, Her words fell on deaf ears. As Martha continued to sweep, Mary and Lazarus exchanged nervous glances. Martha was consumed with perfection. 00:03:07 Speaker 2: Mary need the dough again so I can bake it. 00:03:09 Speaker 1: Mary was about to obey, but she stopped immediately when she heard the knock on the door. 00:03:15 Speaker 2: He's here. 00:03:16 Speaker 1: Mary clapped her hands together in excitement. Lazarus went to the door. Everyone cheered when they saw each other. Jesus and the disciples poured in and removed their sandals. Each new person was an added stresser to Martha. More mouths to feed, more bread to bake, more weight on Martha's palpitating chest. 00:03:44 Speaker 4: When you think about everything you have to get done today, does it give you any stress? Is life just feeling like it's too much to manage as you juggle family, work, school, and friendships. God doesn't want you welling up with anxiety. He wants you to feel the comfort of knowing Him and being with Him. Even when the storms rage around us, Even when the anxieties of everyday life, tasks and responsibilities seek to weigh us down, Jesus would have our burdens lightened in his presence. Welcome to the Jesus Podcast. A year's story showcasing the depth of Christ's love and the glory of God's truth through cinematic storytelling an honest and deep reflection. I'm Zach, your host frompray dot Com, and I'm so glad you're here. We're back with another story of Jesus comforting someone who's feeling on the outs or far away. This week, we'll enter into the home of Martha as we learn about how God wants to take our anxieties, our stress, and our constant motion away. Not long after feeding the five thousand, Jesus and his disciples are on the move again as they travel through the town of Bethany. They've been invited into the home of some close friends of Jesus, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. These are familiar names that we will we'll see throughout the Gospels. Bethany was just a few miles outside of Jerusalem, and the quick stop was likely a welcomed reprieve from the continual onslaught of crowds wanting to be near Jesus and hear him teach and watch him perform miracles. I want you to imagine you're preparing your home for Jesus. You'd likely start preparing a list of all the things you need to get done. Wash the dishes, sweep the floor, prepare a meal, and ensure everything is in tiptop shape to welcome not just a friend, but the Messiah. For those of you that are professional hosts and are always having people over, this might sound pretty stressful. It certainly did for Martha. But as Jesus enters into the home, Martha's anxious and frenetic reeling is going to slowly melt away under the warm embrace of her Lord. 00:05:45 Speaker 1: Let's begin in the waning light of a late afternoon in Bethany. The house of Martha, Mary and Lazarus buzzed with an undercurrent of frenetic activity. Matter of pots and pans echoed through the small, humble home, punctuated by the occasion with sharp snap of vegetables being chopped with precise precision. Martha was a whirlwind of motion, her hands never still as she juggled cooking, cleaning, and fretting over every detail. The aroma of simmering stew mingled with the earthly scent of freshly baked bread, but the inviting smells did little to soothe her mounting stress. In her mind, everything had to be perfect after all they were hosting the Messiah. Lazarus was reclined beside Peter and Andrew. They exchanged stories about their run ins with Roman guards and laughed about the absurdity of their youth. Mary sat at the feet of Jesus listened intently as he spoke to a few of the disciples about his heart for prayer. Jesus' words so enraptured Mary that she could barely hear Martha calling from the kitchen. 00:07:12 Speaker 2: Mary, Mary, you didn't need the bread twice like I asked. It's lumpy and cooked unevenly, Ugh Mary. 00:07:22 Speaker 1: Mary finally looked back and shook her head at Martha. 00:07:25 Speaker 2: Oh, Martha, relax and come over here. Jesus is telling us a parable about a widow and a wicked judge. Relax, Maybe I would if you would help me. Am I the only one who cares. 00:07:39 Speaker 1: Martha angrily needed more dough, punching it with her fists and slapping it around. She then proceeded to chop the carrots aggressively. 00:07:50 Speaker 2: Must be nice to be Mary. Not a care in the world. 00:07:54 Speaker 1: Mary hadn't done anything to help with the food. Lazarus hasn't helped her sweep it seemed like nobody cared that the son of God himself was sitting at their table. All the guests were fed, and Martha had successfully filled every plate with bread, stew, and cakes. The home was warm, with a soft glow of lamp lights and laughter. Martha couldn't enjoy any of it. Her mind kept her away from the present. Even if she was still, her mind was elsewhere. She was constantly thinking about the next chore. Mary was still at the feet of Jesus with her legs crossed. She was like a little child. Lazarus was returning to the table and passed Martha. She was vibrating with anxious energy. Sensing her irritation, Lazarus touched her shoulder and said. 00:09:00 Speaker 3: Martha, just breathe you. 00:09:03 Speaker 2: I don't have time to breathe. 00:09:05 Speaker 1: Martha snapped, her patience frayed to its last thread. 00:09:09 Speaker 2: I'm doing everything alone. Why don't you help me instead of just sitting there. 00:09:14 Speaker 1: Martha's voice, sharp with frustration, cut through the serene atmosphere like a knife. Blinded by bitterness, she spoke to Jesus and gestured to her sister. 00:09:26 Speaker 2: Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do all the work myself. Why don't you tell her to get up and help me? Didn't you say, if you want to be great in the kingdom, you must be a servant of all. Why then, am I the only one serving? I can't do it all on my own. 00:09:44 Speaker 1: I'm I can't Martha, Martha, Jesus interrupted. His tone was soft and understanding, like one would speak to a child spiraling into a tantrum. 00:09:58 Speaker 3: Martha, come over here. 00:10:00 Speaker 1: Martha's eyes widened and her throat clenched. She stepped forward to Jesus, eyes fixed on her feet. 00:10:10 Speaker 3: Martha, you are worried and upset about many things. How much of your worrying has added a minute of value to your life? For all of your stress, you found yourself in more lack than abundance. Mary has chosen what is better to be at my feet and hear my words. Do not take that away from her. 00:10:34 Speaker 1: The room fell into an almost tangible silence, the air heavy with the words left unspoken. Martha's hands stilled for the first time since the day began, the tension in her shoulders visibly relaxing as the truth of jesus words sank. Yet she looked from Jesus to Mary and back again, the realization dawning on her that in her obsession with the minutia, she had missed the essence of the moment. With a heavy sigh, Martha lowered herself on to a stool beside Jesus. Jesus smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder. 00:11:22 Speaker 3: Now I was just about to tell Mary and the others about almost getting thrown off a cliff in Nazareth. 00:11:28 Speaker 1: The entire table leaned over and listened to Jesus. They gasped, laughed, and found peace in his presence. Martha watched Mary, who remained at jesus feet, a serene smile on her lips. At that moment, Martha understood it wasn't about the perfect meal or a spotless house. It was about being present, about listening and truly seeing the ones you love. I'm sorry, Martha whispered to Mary, but her apology was more to herself than any one else. Martha did something she hadn't done in far too long. She sat, she listened, and in the warmth of the setting sun, with the sounds of a day winding down around her, Martha found a peace she hadn't realized She was searching for In the company of her sister and Jesus, Martha discovered that the greatest service she could offer was her presence, her willingness to simply be. The dishes could wait, the sweeping could be done later. For now, Martha chose to embrace the moment, the soak, and the wisdom and love that filled her home. It was a choice she would make again and again, a lesson learned in the heart of a bustling kitchen that would forever change the way she saw the world. 00:13:27 Speaker 4: Every individual life is a unique collection of thoughts, feelings, and experiences and perceptions of the world around us. We all see the world through a certain lens. Each one of us is distinct from the other, and though we live alongside each other, we take in the world in our own way. This was showcased in the way that Mary, Martha, and Lazarus all dealt with the same exact situation. They were all hosting Jesus, but they dealt with his coming in different ways. Mary and Lazarus seemed to have the right idea, helping here and there, but understanding that the presence of Jesus was worth pausing for. But for Martha, she was stuck in a continual loop of anxiety. Anxiety often happens when our way of living and dealing with the stress of life isn't working. For some of us, life has become one endless stream of stress, worries, and anxieties. At the beginning of our passage, Martha does a pretty good thing. She hears that Jesus is nearby and invites him in his disciples to visit. She demonstrates a heart of hospitality as she prepares her home, and you see, that's a good thing. Martha clearly has the gift of hospitality. She wants Jesus to feel comfortable in her home, and she understands the responsibility of having a lot of guests over. You see, none of these are bad things. It's with a good heart that Martha wants to host Jesus. We should all find this similar attitude and gladly welcome Jesus into our own lives and make a space for him. It's a wonderful thing to spend time with God, and we should be seizing any opportunity we can and to do so. We can welcome Jesus into our home in a number of ways, whether it's taking a moment to read the Bible every single morning, or saturating ourselves and our hearts and our minds in sermons and content that's enriching to our souls. Perhaps it's prying with others as we align our hearts with God's will, singing a worship song in the car on our way to work. Whatever it might be, there's endless opportunities to be near our God and welcome him into everyday aspects of our lives. And despite our ever growing culture of busyness and hustle, we should never find ourselves too busy to spend time with God and to welcome Him into our lives. The closer we allow him to get, the better our lives become. And it's not that everything becomes perfect and all of our problems go away. But like Martha, we can become distracted in our relationship with the Lord, with all of her own plans and what must be done before Jesus arrives, she forgets the whole purpose of the visit to be with Jesus. You see, Mary and Lazarus didn't forget that. They found it easy to just recline at the table and be with him. But Martha was caught in a loop as she runs around the house to cook, clean, and host. Others are joyfully sitting by Jesus as he shares parables and stories about life while Martha clings to her tasks. Everyone else is clinging to Christ and they're ultimately growing, but Martha is deteriorating. You see, this is what stress does to us. We don't grow. Jesus warns us of this in the Sermon in the Mount. He says, who if you can add anything to your life by worrying? You see, worry takes, it doesn't give. But to Martha, taking that time to be with Jesus didn't take precedence over all the things she needed to do for Jesus. Taking the time to grow in our faith may seem like another time consuming to do in an already packed schedule. We plan to wake up early for DeVos, only to find our kids already woken up before the sun rise. We tell ourselves that we're going to pray before bed, until we forget that we had an assignment due by midnight, and what we know we should be putting first can so easily get kicked to the bottom of our list. Have you ever felt that way, the ever increasing list of things you need to get done today seems to only get larger and larger until eventually you gotta just crash. But what might help us combat this pattern is retooling the way we actually look at our time. Oftentimes people say you need to put Jesus as your number one priority. He needs to be the first priority in your day. But this might be the wrong perspective. You see, Jesus shouldn't be one of many priorities that you have in the day. Rather than telling ourselves will put Jesus in our faith first, it might be more helpful to think in terms of putting Jesus in our faith as central, instead of viewing him as an item on your agenda, view your time with God as an epicenter from which the rest of your life extends from. Let your life flow from your faith. Don't put your faith in one bracket of an ever changing list of things you need to do today. That way, reading the Bible is ases central as getting your food or drinking water in the day. You prioritize these things because you know everything else you need to get done today will be compromised if you don't. If you see Jesus as central in your life and the fountain by which all of your productivity flows, then you might have a better time making time for him in your day. Prioritizing our time with Jesus helps us to sense his guidance as he leads us through all the highs and lows of life and shows us things and where we need to go. Don't fall into the stress of Martha putting all the things you want to do for Jesus above being with Jesus. There's this really compelling part of Mark chapter three where Jesus is calling his disciples and it says that he called them first and foremost to be with him, and then he called them to go preach the gospel, go and heal cast out demons, et cetera. But the first part of that was really important. You see, the disciples were called first and foremost to be with Jesus because ministry flows from intimacy. You see, there's time for work and getting things done, but it should never be apart from an active relationship with God. Being present with God is far more important than being productive for God. In fact, you can't be truly productive for God unless you've learned the rhythms of being present with him. We can't serve God in a pleasing way if we are apart from Him. One must flow from the other. Being with God must be a constant in our life that sustains and frees us from any potential stresses that come our way. Jesus tells us to seek first the Kingdom of God and all other needs will be met. But still you might find yourself trapped in the feeling of Martha. But there's a solution right here in our story today. If we've wound up in a stressful place, all we have to do is what Martha did, which is listen to God, take the gentle rebuke to slow down, and us be with him. You see, our stress is directly related to how we respond to life circumstances. While there will definitely be stressful factors around us and outside of our control, what we are in control of is how we handle them. And there's no way we can properly process what's happening to us if we don't allow ourselves to pause, if we don't allow ourselves to process, if we don't allow ourselves to seek peace from God and respond accordingly. You see constant motion is a surefire way to fall off the tracks. We get to choose how everyday events are going to affect our mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing, and putting Jesus at the epicenter of our lives and coming to him and finding intimacy with him is going to be a surefirere way to stable ourselves in an ever changing world. And listen, I get it. We all respond to stress in different ways. Some of us respond to stress by shutting down if we find things like sleep to be a welcomed break from overthinking, but others, like Martha, might respond to stress by becoming hyperactive, like a mother anxiously awaiting a baby. We begin nesting because we feel like we have to prepare. We feel like we need to be in control before something happens. All the chores and activities that can help us feel like we've accomplished something when everything else seems to be crumbling around us. But both of these responses are simply distractions from what we really need in the middle of our stress. What we truly need is an encounter with Jesus. When you're feeling overwhelmed, allow yourself to pause. The Psalmist says, be still and know that I am God. You see this word be still, or this phrase be still means stop striving, stop working, stop pause, Take a time to consider the circumstances and seek God. Feel the warm and brace of His spirit who comforts you. Hear the words of the one who called the storms to be still as he speaks the same command of peace over the raging sea of your heart. And once you find that moment of calm, the moment of quiet, open your ears to hear the words that he wants to speak to you, the guidance he wants to offer you. Opening your heart to receive correction, knowing that it's not given in anger, but in love. Trust that he wants what's best for you and is willing to take the time to hold your hand and help you see what's happening around you. As you hear his guidance, humble yourself to glad obedience. He's called you away from anxiety and worry and invites you into the peace and tranquility of His presence. God wants to take the place of stress in your life. He wants to help you navigate the complexities, and as we read in James four seven, submit yourselves, then to God. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. God wants to lift you up, but it requires that you fall down at his feet. It calls you to resist your pride, overcome the temptation to do before you enjoy the sweet satisfaction of being being with God, who doesn't need anything from you, but deeply desires a Relationationship with you is one of the greatest joys you'll ever experience. Stress melts away in the presence of your Savior, who cast out all fear with his perfect love. Thanks again for listening to another episode of the Jesus Podcast. It's truly a joy to be with you here every single day. We're going to keep going with these stories. We're going to keep telling the story of the Gospel in new and cinematic ways and seek some honest and deep reflection to enrich our faith. If you have felt blessed by this podcast so far, we would love it if you left a review. We read every single one of them, and it's encouraging and it nourishes us and fuels us for the mission ahead. So thank you, Thank you from the deepest parts of our hearts. Here at pray dot com, God bless,