Jesus People

While Jesus and his disciples were traveling, Jesus entered a village where a woman named Martha welcomed him as a guest.  She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his message.  By contrast, Martha was preoccupied with getting everything ready for their meal. So Martha came to him and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to prepare the table all by myself? Tell her to help me.”

The Lord answered, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things.  One thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the better part. It won’t be taken away from her.”
-Luke 10:38-42

Have you ever been in love?  More specifically, have you ever been in love with Jesus?  When you are in love with Jesus, you think about him all the time, you talk about him all the time, and you talk to him all the time.  It is all about him.

And when you are not talking about him, sharing about him, or talking to him; you are listening to him.  You might be reading the red letters in you Bible, listening to his words in scripture.  You might also be listening to others talk about him or reading what people have written about him.

If this describes you, then you are a Jesus person.  You might even be called a Jesus freak.  Jesus is supposed to be the center of the Christian's life.  He is our occupation.  He is our obsession.  If people in your life think you are going overboard for Jesus, then you are probably doing well.

I have been like this at times in my life.  Fellowship with like minded Christians is wonderful and other Christians may compliment you as being on-fire, while others may criticize you and tell you to tone it down.  I have experienced all this.  I am not like this right now, but I want to be.  I realize that I am more worried, distracted, and preoccupied; even with Christian things, than occupied with Jesus Christ.  I want to be a Jesus person.

I am realizing that it does not matter where you are in time or space in your Christian life.  The main thing, the simple thing, the better thing is to be sitting at Jesus feet.  How are you doing with being in love with Jesus?  There is a verse in Revelation that says, "you have let go of the love you had at first", and that statement is made after the declaration from God, that you have done many good things:
I know your works, your labor, and your endurance. I also know that you don’t put up with those who are evil. You have tested those who say they are apostles but are not, and you have found them to be liars.  You have shown endurance and put up with a lot for my name’s sake, and you haven’t gotten tired.  But I have this against you: you have let go of the love you had at first.  So remember the high point from which you have fallen. Change your hearts and lives and do the things you did at first.
-Revelation 2:2-5
In the story of Mary and Martha, Jesus came to their house and Mary just sat at his feet and listened to everything he said.  While, in contrast, her sister Martha was preoccupied, worried, and distracted by many things.  Martha complained to Jesus that it was not right that Mary just sat there, while she was doing all the work to getting their meal ready.  Martha even told Jesus to tell Mary to help her.

Jesus answered Martha and did not take her order, but rather commended her sister Mary, for making the better choice, in choosing to sit at his feet and listen.  He told Martha that she was worried and distracted.  He didn't rebuke or criticize her, but told her that what her sister was doing the better part.

Notice also in the story that it was Martha that welcomed Jesus.  Martha was ambitious to please Jesus.  Jesus came into their village and Martha invited Jesus to her house and Jesus accepted her invitation.  That sounds good and it is good.

Luke gives the side note that Martha had a sister living with her.  Perhaps Martha was the dominant one?  I had two aunts that lived together.  They were both Christian women, but they had different personalities, and one of the two seemed to be the dominant one.  She was the one who spoke first.  Perhaps that is how Martha was.  She assertively welcomed Jesus to their home.

We need people who get things done.  We need people who facilitate and coordinate the meeting of the church.  We enjoy the decorations that people put up and the food that people make and serve to us.  Some other people put a lot of work into teaching the Bible and ministering to others.

But, there is a person who is just plain in love with Jesus:  They read his words, they talk about him to everyone, they talk to him, and their goal in life is for Jesus to live through them.  That person is choosing the better thing.

Jesus people are people who return to their first love and live a life simply devoted to him.  What we think and what we do and how we talk, all come from being with Jesus.  Jesus people know Jesus is real, because he talks to them and does things in there lives.  

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