Ever had a meltdown? Sure you have. Ever have one in public? Embarrassing. But hopefully, it wasn’t caught on camera, uploaded to YouTube, and watched by millions like our friend Martha’s was.
Martha’s meltdown went viral — but not exactly on the internet or YouTube. No, hers was recorded for all time in the Bible. The Word of God. Talk about embarrassing. And for 2000 years, millions of people have read the account of Martha’s famous meltdown:
Luke 10:38-42 (NLT)
38 As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed them into her home.
39 Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught.
40 But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”
41 But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details!
42 There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”
One minute, Martha was Ms. Hospitality. Two verses later, Ms. Meltdown. And today, this snapshot of Martha has become the source of countless sermons with the primary application being: don’t be a Martha.
We can all relate to Martha. We’ve all had days when we were a don’t. But Martha didn’t stay there. And neither should we.
Fast forward to her next encounter with Jesus which occurred several months later and only four days after the death of her brother, Lazarus:
John 11:21-27 (NLT)
21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.
22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.”
23 Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 “Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.”
25 Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.
26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”
27 “Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.”
We tend to forget about this scriptural snapshot of Martha. The Martha who is so confident in Christ. The Martha who is facing worst-case-scenario circumstances without the slightest hint of a meltdown in the making. The Martha who is a do.
But God didn’t forget. And I believe He included this snapshot of Martha in John’s Gospel so that we wouldn’t forget that He doesn’t just see us when we’re don’ts. He sees us when we’re dos, too. And aren’t you grateful?
It’s Monday. Maybe your Monday got off to a rough start. Maybe your week will even include a meltdown. I hope not. But if it does, precious sister, I hope you’ll do what Martha did. Don’t stay in that snapshot of you as a don’t. Move forward by forgiveness and faith. And when you do, rest assured that your Father will see that beautiful, new snapshot of you. As a do.
Praying for you this Monday, your sister,
