Editorial October 8, 1984 Issue

The joy of entertaining Christ

CAROLYN B. SWAN

Christ Jesus once dined with two sisters. One of them, Mary, sat at his feet throughout the meal, listening attentively to his words. But while Mary joyously, spiritually entertained Christ, the ideal Truth that Jesus taught, her sister Martha laboriously served the man Jesus.

Some scholars think that Martha felt burdened because she had prepared an unnecessarily elaborate meal. When she complained to Jesus because Mary wasn't helping her serve, he said, "Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: but one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."^{Luke 10:41, 42.}

Like Mary, we can always spiritually entertain that "good part," for Christ is eternal Truth. Nevertheless, we may sometimes find ourselves entertaining a burdened, material sense of what could be happy, useful service. Whatever our task, we will perform it with joy if we choose to entertain Christ instead of complaint.

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