Make Room to Listen

Walking with Jesus: Everyday Faith

Read slowly: Luke 10:38–42

In our last reading, Jesus described a life that bears fruit through dependence on him. Luke now brings us into a home where we can see why receiving from Jesus matters, even when we are busy doing something good.

Martha welcomes him into her house. Mary, her sister, sits at his feet and listens to his teaching. As the visit unfolds, Martha becomes distracted by the work of serving and asks Jesus to intervene.

His answer reaches into the relationship between our responsibilities and our attention. The Lord we welcome has something to give us. Following him includes making room to receive it.

A disciple begins by receiving

Luke 10:38–39

Martha opens her home to Jesus. That welcome is a real act of hospitality, giving him a place within the ordinary life of the household. Mary receives him by sitting at his feet and listening to his words.

To sit at a teacher's feet is to take the place of a learner. Mary gives Jesus the attention of a disciple, someone who receives his teaching and learns how to live under his direction. Jesus will defend her choice to remain there.¹

This tells us something about the relationship Jesus invites us into. He comes with words we need. We approach him as people who have something to learn and something to receive. His authority gives our listening its purpose: he is the Lord whose teaching can correct our understanding and direct our lives.

We can become accustomed to having an answer, managing the next task, or knowing what others need from us. Sitting at Jesus' feet asks for the humility of a learner. We allow him to speak into what we have already decided. We give his words room to question our priorities and deepen our understanding of God.

Mary's place in the scene is one of attentive dependence. She receives what Jesus is giving. That is a necessary part of our life with him too.

Distraction can change how we see Jesus

Luke 10:40

Luke describes Martha as distracted with much serving. Her attention has been drawn into the demands surrounding the visit. She comes to Jesus with a question about his care and a request that he tell Mary to help her.

Notice how her concern moves. There is work to do, her sister is listening, and now Jesus' care for her is brought into question. The pressure she feels has begun to shape the way she addresses both her sister and her Lord. Elisabeth Johnson draws attention to this movement from distracted service into strained relationships.²

The scene is recognizable. A responsibility can occupy so much of our attention that it becomes the measure by which we judge everyone around us. We begin to count who is helping, who is resting, and who seems to notice our effort. The work may still matter, while our understanding of the people involved becomes narrower.

Something similar can happen in prayer. We bring God a real burden and become certain that his care must take the form of the solution we have chosen. Martha wants Jesus to direct Mary. Jesus responds by addressing Martha's anxiety and drawing attention to what Mary is receiving.

His response gives us reason to remain teachable when we bring our needs to him. We can speak honestly about the burden and also listen for what his words reveal about our response to it. The Lord who hears us has authority to help us understand what we need.

Jesus protects the good portion

Luke 10:41–42

Jesus addresses Martha by name, twice, and names the anxiety and trouble occupying her. He then brings the many concerns into focus by saying that one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, and it will not be taken away from her.

A portion is a share someone receives. Here, Mary's share is found in attending to Jesus and receiving his teaching. He calls her choice good and refuses to remove her from that place. What she receives from him has a value that Martha's immediate concern has overlooked.

This is more than permission to pause. Jesus is identifying a priority within discipleship. His words deserve our attention because we need the truth and life he gives. The people who serve him are also people who must learn from him.

That priority can be difficult to accept when unfinished tasks are easy to see and inward growth is harder to measure. Yet a changed understanding of God, a correction we have finally received, or a promise we have learned to trust may shape our conduct long after a particular task is finished. Listening gives his teaching a place from which to work within us.

Mary's choice also shows that attention involves a response. She sits and listens. For us, making room to listen includes bringing our attention to Scripture with a willingness to be taught. We ask what the passage reveals, take time to understand it, and let its meaning reach the decisions before us. We receive his word as people who intend to live by it.

Listening gives direction to our service

Luke 10:25–37; Luke 10:38–42

Immediately before this visit, Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan. The Samaritan shows mercy through costly, practical care: he tends a wounded man, carries him to shelter, and provides for his needs. Jesus concludes by telling his hearer to do likewise.

Luke places that call to active mercy beside Mary's attentive listening. Together, the passages show a life that receives Jesus' teaching and responds to people in need. His word forms the understanding from which faithful action grows.

Listening can change the way we carry a responsibility. We may begin to recognize the person behind the task, receive correction about the way we speak, or discover that love requires a different response from the one we had planned. As Jesus teaches us, the purpose and character of our service can change.

The same Lord who directs us toward our neighbor also gives us a place as learners. We keep returning to him because we need his words within the life we are living. Our responsibilities become part of our discipleship as we allow his teaching to guide them.

Words of Wisdom

The Jesus we welcome is the Lord from whom we need to receive. Good responsibilities can absorb our attention, but his words remain necessary for understanding how to carry them. Making room to listen is an act of trust: we give him authority to shape our priorities, our view of others, and the love with which we serve.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank you for giving us a place to hear and learn from you. Help me recognize when the demands around me are narrowing my attention and shaping my view of your care. Make me willing to receive your words, even when they challenge the response I had planned. Teach me to carry my responsibilities with the understanding and love that come from listening to you. Amen.

Sources Consulted