Top Priority

Luke 10:38–42

At the beginning of Luke chapter 10, Jesus sends out seventy-two people ahead of Him into places He was about to go. He tells them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.”

They go. They serve. They experience the power of His name firsthand.

And when they return, they’re amazed—because even demons were subject to them through His name.

But as the chapter continues, the scene shifts.

Jesus enters a village—Luke doesn’t name it—and a woman named Martha welcomes Him into her home.

Now just imagine that for a moment…

Jesus is in your house.

Not passing by. Not in a crowd.
In your home.

Martha does what many of us would do—she gets to work.

Cleaning. Preparing. Hosting. Making sure everything is just right.

Meanwhile, Mary… does something that doesn’t quite make sense in that moment.

She sits down.

At Jesus’ feet.

Listening.

Not helping.
Not moving.
Not rushing.

Just… sitting.

And you can almost feel the tension building in the room.

The more Martha works, the more it bothers her that Mary isn’t.
Martha is heated.

And she can’t hold it in any longer.

“Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to help me.”

Have you ever been there?

Doing all the things.
Carrying all the weight.
Looking around wondering why no one else is moving like you are?

And then Jesus responds—not harshly, but clearly:

Martha, Martha… you are anxious and troubled about many things.

If I could paraphrase, Jesus is saying:
You’re focused on the wrong things right now.

Jesus wasn’t criticizing Martha’s desire to serve.
He was correcting her priorities in that moment.

But then He says something that shifts everything:

One thing is necessary.

Not ten things.
Not everything on your list.
One thing.

And in that moment, Mary had chosen it.

She chose to sit with Him.

Jesus wasn’t saying Martha’s serving didn’t matter.

He was saying—right now, you’re missing the moment.

And if we’re honest…

We do the same thing.

We stay busy.
We stay moving.
We stay focused on everything happening around us—

The culture.
The politics.
The economy.
The noise.

And all the while, Jesus is saying:

“Come sit with Me.”

But we’re too distracted.
Too consumed.
Too focused on what feels urgent…

That we miss what is actually important.

Mary chose what was better.

Not easier.
Not more comfortable.
Better.

And Jesus said it would not be taken from her.

Lord, help us not to miss You while we’re busy doing everything else.

Help us to slow down.
Help us to refocus.
Help us to choose the good portion.

Help us to be like Mary.

And help us not to be so distracted by life…
that we miss the One who gave it to us.

Share this with someone who needs to be reminded to choose the good portion. 💛