Stirring the Pot, or Eating the Meal?
Luke 10:38 – 42 reveals the story of Jesus going to the home of Mary and Martha, Lazarus’ sisters, for a meal. While Martha was “stirring the pot,” Mary was sitting at the feet of Jesus, hearing His word. Martha requested that Jesus tell Mary to come to the kitchen and help her as she (Martha) was “cumbered about much serving.” Jesus’ answer seems gentle, but firm as He said, “Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” Rather than “stirring the pot,” Mary was “eating the meal.”
Such encumbrances continue in today’s world; most of them are of our making. Making sure there is a place for everything, and everything is in its place, expresses a mentality we call “OCD” (obsessive-compulsive disorder ). Especially if we think it needful to impress someone, we tend to “put on airs” (in the old days, we called it “puttin’ on the dog” or “puttin’ on the Ritz”), which means we are trying to be something or someone we’re not, all for the “glory” of being impressive for the occasion. Jesus was gentle but firm in His rebuke of Martha, much more so than when He spoke of such demeanor in the sermon on the mount. There He said, “Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore, when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.” (Matthew 6: 1- 4)
Our service to God should honor HIM, and never in any way glorify man! If in any fashion we devote our efforts to impressing MAN rather than honoring GOD, we have merely “stirred the pot” rather than honoring God. We can say the same about any additions or subtractions from our worship, our studies, or even our lives. If what we say and do is done to impress mankind, whose servant have we become? (Galatians 1:10)
Sadly, some enjoy “stirring the pot” in a negative way. They “stew” just enough truth in a story to make it sound good (like just enough good things in a pot of stew to make it smell delicious). It’s the additives that change its taste from sweet to bitter, from beneficial to deadly, spiritually speaking. These souls like to “stir the pot” and see what reactions occur. They are not interested in gaining the whole truth and nothing but the truth, but want to impress some with their “knowledge” of a matter they neither know nor understand (1 Timothy 1:7), let alone have the power to solve!
In the text of Luke 10: 38 – 42, note there is not a single word about Jesus ever getting something to eat, or Mary and Martha either, for that matter! Yet, we know Mary chose the better – to sit and listen to Jesus! I’d call that “feasting on His word,” wouldn’t you? Too often, we allow ourselves to be “cumbered about much serving” when all we should do is listen to the Guest. Oh, I’m assuming you frequently have Jesus attend your home, your meals, your work, your life! If not, then perhaps you are spending too much time with things that just don’t matter. May I suggest a change?
