Indeed Only One

The Christmas season, with all the good things that come along with it, can also become a time of stress and and anxiety.  As I write this, it is Saturday morning, my wife is cooking breakfast, we're sipping coffee (ahh, weekends!)... and the Christmas flavored "Honey-Do" list lays beckoning! There are always things that have to get done, but it seems at Christmastime there are even more chores, duties and "must-dos". There is shopping to get done, decorations to put up, parties to clean up and prepare for, parties to attend and the list goes on. All of these are wonderful blessings! Many of them of course fall into that category of "first world problems".

Jesus knew, though, that there would be times when we would become distracted; when we would have a hard time focusing on the right things. Ironically, this can be even more prominent at those times when He is close by or on His way. The visit Jesus and His disciples paid to Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42) parallels quite well with what we experience. It also provides great wisdom in how we should respond.

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.

 

"Christmas is coming! We get to celebrate the birth of our Saviour!"

39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 

"I just love this time of year, the chance to share Christ's love for us and reflect on what His birth means to me and all of mankind."

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!” 

"There is so much that we need to get done! There are only a few days left before Christmas and we still have so much left to do! We can't just sit here chatting and looking at these Christmas lights, we need to get to work!"

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.”

"Indeed only one." There's the key. Of all the things that can occupy our attention and time during this season, there really is, "only one." Jesus. Let us not get caught up with the tyranny of the urgent, all of those things we feel that just must get done, but focus on the true reason for the season. The reason for the parties and the celebrations and the gatherings. Jesus. He really is ALL that matters.