Stealing Home

Luke 10:38-42

Don't you just love that tense moment when someone is trying to steal a base? Especially if it is a runner on third who is trying to steal home. I don't know why that always seems like the hardest one to steal, but it doesn't happen that often, and when someone DOES actually steal home it is a beautiful scene to witness. Sports at its best.

Someone's eye is momentarily off the mark when an opportunity to steal home occurs. The pitcher, usually, is the one who has the ball and has taken his eye off the whole picture, even if only for a moment.   And someone else's eye is, at that same time, perfectly and acutely focused on the whole picture and takes advantage of that moment to make a break for it, to run for his life and make the play. To get a run for the team. To steal home.

It is always such a shock to the other team when home base is stolen. What happened? How did we not notice this could occur? How DID it occur?  And the team with the great player who stole home is so happy, so ecstatic that they SHOWED that team a thing or two.

So what does that have to do with Mary and Martha in the house with Jesus? Well, Martha is really busy, for sure... has her eye on everything going on. She has that household in shape, ready to host Jesus, everything and everybody working. Except that she doesn't have her eye on Jesus, at least not solely focused on the man and his message.

And Martha, she does. She has Jesus accurately in her sights. She is watching his every move. She sees what is actually important in this moment.  Martha is on the pitcher's mound, minding the home, and yet it is Mary who actually has her eye on the prize and steals home, so to speak. Mary who actually gets the point, understands that all that is necessary is to focus on Jesus.

When do we get so involved in the game that we forget to focus on Jesus?  Email me or comment below.