Martha Chooses the Better Part
Did they like the new dinnerware
And that special brand of grapes bought especially for tonight?
Did they notice how expensive the flowers, how gleaming the table?
Ah no! No longer shall I be bound by "oughts" and "shoulds" and
"does she (do I?) deserve"!
I now yearn not to work as a servant, but to minister as a daughter.
I am willing to love Mary's offering,
But to know that mine is not hers.
To love Jesus, really love,
to love the gift that God has given me to give
---To serve my Lord with love.
---To love my gift
---To love my sister's gift
---To love the Giver of all gifts
Now the supper is done, the ointment flows
Aroma is like a pleasing incense.
He calls her gift good.
His words will be written down for all generations to hear.
But just as precious as nard, or as the spoken word
Is the glance he give me, oh so briefly
The wordless "Amen" to my gift of service.
No one will ever read aloud that look in church--
It appears in no common lectionary.
No one will postulate on the application of that nod
To the daily life of the congregation.
No one will speak aloud, as they tell the story of this night,
The quiet "Amen" only I heard.
But some, who serve willingly and quietly
At potlucks and funeral dinners
Some who mow the grass and shine the pews
Some who ladle chili to those with no homes on wintery nights
Some who hold crying babies in the nursery
Some who fix the meals for the mission trip
Some who assemble newsletters each Monday morning
Some who pour out grape juice and bake the bread
Some who run powerpoint and check mic batteries
Some who rake the leaves of older neighbors
Some who light the furnace on cold Sunday mornings
Some who work each week in the clothes closet downtown
Some who replace lightbulbs and air conditioning filters
Some who scrub toilets in the education wing
Will see, will feel and will hear
Will know the joy of choosing the better part
Will know that my gift, and their gifts
Are pleasing to Jesus too.
The Last Supper may lie ahead---
But I am hosting the Last Party.
And I am blest
And I am blest
3 comments:
Thank you for this devotional this morning.
You are such a good writer.
These last two posts are a departure for you. A welcome one I might add. While I do enjoy your other posts, your poetry is thoughtful and powerful. Thanks for sharing.
I agree with Dave. These are really cool.
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