“Dwell”
SCRIPTURE
Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at Jesus’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her, then, to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things, but few things are needed—indeed only one. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.” —Luke 10:38-42
DEVOTIONAL
We have all seen it before. At a restaurant the other day, I noticed two people together at a table silently glued to their phones. I gave them the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they were reading the menu. That was, until the food came, and they didn’t take their eyes off their screens. It was like they were stuck. I tried to think of all of the reasons that they could have preferred what they were looking at to one another. Maybe they were reading something that affected them both so deeply that they needed all the details before they could talk about it together? Maybe their work was spilling over hours, and this was a necessary evil of success? Maybe they just didn’t like each other? Curiosity turned to judgment of how shameful it was to be so distracted from one another when they had this precious time together. That was, until I realized that I was just as distracted from the friends at my table.
It is easy to be distracted. There is a lot going on: always tasks to complete, an ever growing “to do” list that never seems to get done, and so much stimulation all around us. When Mary and Martha hosted Jesus, the world didn’t stop. There was laundry, preparing the food, and caring for the animals. Jesus being present neither made the tasks less pressing nor did it end the distractions. But with Jesus present, Mary and Martha each made a decision. Martha chose to “co-exist.” Mary chose to dwell: to be completely present, drawn into another’s existence, vulnerable to another’s presence in such an intimate way that the point where you end and they begin gets lost. Henri Nouwen might say that, while Martha was taking care of the house, Mary was building a “home.” Or put another way, Mary left the self for the sake of putting Christ in the center, transforming them both into something new. Sounds easier than it is.
- What distracts you from being intently present with another, with Christ?
- The next time you are with someone and sense a pull to check the phone, stop and ask yourself why? Is it really pressing? Can it wait? Are you moving toward the distractions or away from the presence of another?
- How can your dwelling in the presence of another witness to the love of Jesus Christ?
“If your mind isn’t clouded by unnecessary things, this is the best season of your life.” —Wu-Men
PRAYER
Lord, be our greatest distraction. As we make room for you within the inner chambers of our soul, point us the way home. Amen.
The daily devotionals for the season of Lent are written by Rev. Dr. Kirk Hall, Associate Pastor of Formation at First Presbyterian Church from 2010-2013. He is currently a founding partner at The Metis Project, LLC. and lives with his wife and two girls in Salisbury, Connecticut.