Nothing ruins a good meal more than a family fight. One minute, all is well, everything tastes great, an Uncle is going on about his years in WW II, or his farm, then…..out of the blue someone gets aggravated, says something, and someone storms off or it gets REAL quiet around the table! Been there…..who hasn’t?!

And here in Luke 10:38-42 we get the point, but we don’t get the whole family drama played out. We don’t know how Mary reacts nor how the hard working irritated hostess Martha reacts. Jesus is teaching and at that moment, in that house, on that day, that was the “one thing needful.” To Mary. And to Martha….we don’t know if she left several things unbaked and sat down beside her sister and listened to Jesus too. We don’t know if the next time when visitors appeared Mary helped out in the kitchen!

Sometimes there is just one thing needful. It may take years of Christian practice and prayer to realize that moment, that need, that one thing on a given day.

The Amos passage shouts at us and asks us to tremble and surely repent. The Colossians text asks us to ponder the majesty and mystery of God in Christ. Can we do both those things at the same time?! Is “one needful” at the right time, the right experience while much better to “wait to address the other?”

Which of these three scriptures speaks to YOU more….right now? Are you Mary or Martha or trying to be both? Do you need a swift wakeup call from a Prophet? Are you in need of joyously getting lost in the wonders of God’s revelation in Christ?

Well, that’s the good thing about discipleship in that it has many, many moments in a lifetime when we each hear from Jesus: “one thing is needful. Pay attention. It will not be taken from you.”

What needs OUR undivided attention as disciples of Jesus ? Good question. Pray for the answer in YOUR life, pray for the answer in OUR life together as church.

Hope to see you in worship this Sunday! There might be “one thing needful” present in that hour for you!

Pastor Barry