Celebrating what Counts

Read Luke 10.

All facts are not equal.  Knowing what is important is vital to evaluating success.  Often when reading the Gospels it is easy to be enamored with the story and miss the point.  There are three encounters in this chapter.  Each has its own context and impact.  But notice how Jesus zooms past the surface issues and zeros in on what truly matters.

1. Celebrating Success. (vv.1-22)
Jesus instructed, empowered and sent out seventy-two missionary disciples.  They returned with exciting stories of what they were able to do in the name of Jesus.  But it was not about them.  It was, in fact, the Holy Spirit's power working through obedient servants.  Jesus reminded them what they should be celebrating: "that your names are written in heaven."

We should never get over the fact that we know the Lord Jesus personally, that we are set apart to Him for eternity, and that are names are recorded in heaven.  That is a cause for a daily celebration.

Then, Jesus reminded them who they truly are in His prayer of thanksgiving.  He called them children.  Humbly they believed and humbly they had served.  All the glory goes to the One who chose them and revealed Himself to them.  That is what counts.

2. Evaluating Behavior. (vv.23-37)
No surprise, the lawyer had a couple of questions.  It was meant to test Jesus on Old Testament content, but Jesus turned the conversation to test the lawyer's heart.  Jesus gave him three case studies to evaluate the application of God's command to love your neighbor as yourself.  It did not matter about one's position in life, their knowledge of the Law, their job, or even their race.  The fulfillment of God's expectation was putting mercy into practice.  In the final evaluation, it is not the one who understands mercy from a book, but "the one who showed" mercy is what counts to God.

3. Cutting through the Clutter. (vv.38-42)
Martha did not do anything wrong.  She was busy taking care of needful things.  After all, Jesus was in the house.  No doubt, she wanted to do her best as a good hostess.  Then, she became frustrated that her sister was not helping her.  "But Martha was distracted with much serving."  She missed the real value here.  Jesus was in the house.  The kitchen could be cleaned up later.  This was a prime-time opportunity to sit down with the Savior and be still.

Surely, Mary understood the need to help serve.  But, Jesus commended Mary in that she had focused on the "one thing" that is necessary.  He called it the "good portion, which will not be taken away from her."  The food, the housecleaning, and serving are all temporal things.  Stopping to spend time with Jesus was an eternal investment.  In all of our busy lives, this is the "one thing" that counts.