Her fault was not that she served: the condition of a servant
well becomes every Christian. "I serve," should be the motto of all
the princes of the royal family of heaven. Nor was it her fault that
she had "much serving." We cannot do too much. Let us do all that we
possibly can; let head, and heart, and hands, be engaged in the
Master's service. It was no fault of hers that she was busy preparing
a feast for the Master. Happy Martha, to have an opportunity of
entertaining so blessed a guest; and happy, too, to have the spirit
to throw her whole soul so heartily into the engagement. Her fault
was that she grew "cumbered with much serving," so that she forgot
Him, and only remembered the service. She allowed service to override
communion, and so presented one duty stained with the blood of
another. We ought to be Martha and Mary in one: we should do much
service, and have much communion at the same time. For this we need
great grace. It is easier to serve than to commune. Joshua never grew
weary in fighting with the Amalekites; but Moses, on the top of the
mountain in prayer, needed two helpers to sustain his hands. The more
spiritual the exercise, the sooner we tire in it. The choicest fruits
are the hardest to rear: the most heavenly graces are the most
difficult to cultivate. Beloved, while we do not neglect external
things, which are good enough in themselves, we ought also to see to
it that we enjoy living, personal fellowship with Jesus. See to it
that sitting at the Saviour's feet is not neglected, even though it
be under the specious pretext of doing Him service. The first thing
for our soul's health, the first thing for His glory, and the first
thing for our own usefulness, is to keep ourselves in perpetual
communion with the Lord Jesus, and to see that the vital spirituality
of our religion is maintained over and above everything else in the
world.
