Reading: 3 minutes

1. Many chores are a trap if they prevent us from loving and serving God

Base Verse: Luke 10:38-42

“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’
‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.'”

In this passage, we see Martha worried about her chores while Mary chooses to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to His Word. Martha was distracted by her tasks when she could have left them to be with Jesus. The Greek word used in Luke 10:40 is perispaō which means “to be pulled away, distracted” or “to be driven mentally, to be too busy, too occupied with something.” Matthew Henry writes: “Whatever care the providence of God casts upon us, we must not be cumbered and perplexed by it. Care is good and duty; but the burdening is sin and folly… She was then distracted with much serving, and so forgot the end of her serving, which was to honour Christ, and in that she missed the end of her living, which was to be for ever happy with Him.” Matthew Henry, Commentary on Luke 10.

2. God’s Grace is an Undeserved Gift

Ephesians 2:8-9

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Salvation is an undeserved gift that God bestows upon us through His infinite mercy. It is not something we can earn through our actions or merits, but a gift we receive through faith in Jesus Christ. By understanding that our salvation does not depend on our works, we can rest in God’s grace and live a life of gratitude and obedience, knowing that He has already done everything for us.

3. God’s Blessing in Us is the Merit of Christ

This reminds us that God’s blessings in our lives are not earned through our efforts but are a gift we receive through Jesus Christ. He is the merit by which we are blessed and favored by God. By focusing on Christ and His redemptive work, we can experience the true peace and blessings He offers us.

Ephesians 1:3-5 says:

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.”

Clearly, the Scripture teaches us that in Christ, we have already been blessed with every spiritual blessing, and we do not depend on anything else to receive that blessing. There is nothing we can do to earn God’s favor—no amount of effort or good conduct can gain God’s favor. You must understand that He decided to love you even when you were a sinner and dead in your transgressions and sins. Thus, God’s love cannot be earned or deserved; it is an undeserved gift.

Sincerely, Pastor Guillermo Ayala

Bible Verses:

• Luke 10:38-40
• Ephesians 2:8-9
• Ephesians 1:3-5