Luke 10:38-42

Martha was so consumed by busyness that she neglected to truly be with Him.

Luke 10:38-42 “ 38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” 41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
2024 has been an exceptionally busy year for me. In June alone, I attended three camps: a 3-day retreat organized by the KY Mandarin Worship, a 4-day Methodist Youth Leaders Conference organized by the Chinese Annual Conference (CAC), and a youth camp organized by Queenstown Chinese Methodist Church. KY Mandarin Worship’s ministries have experienced rapid growth, and both the Social Care and Outreach ministries have been notably active. Additionally, there are numerous CAC-related tasks to manage. Consequently, this year has been inundated with work and busyness.

but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her. (Lk10:42)

The Chinese character “忙” for “busyness” is composed of “heart” (心) on its left side and “death” (亡) on its right side. When we become busy, it often feels like our hearts start to “die”, doesn’t it? Our busyness can prevent us from truly engaging with what we are occupied with, causing our hearts to become numb and making us apathetic.
When our heart (心) “dies” (亡), we may begin to forget appointments, overlook tasks, and even lose sight of God’s calling in our lives. Our hearts become desensitized, and we might find ourselves questioning, “What am I really busy with?”
As I wrestle with the issue of “busyness”, God guided me back to Luke 10:38-42. In this passage, Martha was overwhelmed with preparations, busy serving Jesus in practical ways. When she saw Mary not participating in the work, she complained to Jesus, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” Jesus replied, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Despite her service to Jesus, Martha was so consumed by busyness that she neglected to truly be with Him.
As I reflect on this story, I am reminded not to lose sight of the mission God has entrusted to me. This reminder applies to all of us as disciples of Jesus Christ. In our service, let us not be so blinded by busyness that we forget to stay connected with Jesus, the One we are serving.
May the Lord bless you all.