The photo I posted is from the mess of a kitchen I had one Sabbath. I snapped it after our full day of fellowship, prayer, and reading the Word. I shared it in a homemaking tips group with an encouraging message: take the time to fellowship with others, because the dishes can wait.

Of course, I received comments from people saying they couldn’t imagine leaving their kitchens like that, and such. But I’m resharing the photo here with this devotional because it really resonates with something the Holy Spirit stirred in my heart.

Martha, Mary, and the One Necessary Thing

“But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.’” — Luke 10:41–42

I recently read the story of Martha and Mary in Luke 10. As Jesus was traveling, Martha welcomed Him into her home. While He stayed, her sister Mary sat at His feet, listening. Meanwhile, Martha was busy with all the preparations. After all, with house guests, there’s food to make, cleanup to do, and other accommodations to handle.

Martha eventually asked Jesus to have Mary help her. But Jesus compassionately answered, “Martha, you’re worried about many things, but only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen what is right.”

That response really stayed with me.

A Deeper Layer in Luke 14

As I continued reading through Luke, I came to chapter 14, and it built upon everything I had just read about Martha and Mary. Both passages challenged me to think about what our lives should look like as confessing followers of Christ—especially in relation to our daily responsibilities.

In Luke 14, Jesus shares a parable about a dinner feast. A man invites guests to his table, but one by one, they all give excuses for why they can’t come. One is tending to a field, another to his animals. One had just gotten married.

Tending fields and livestock makes me think of homesteading, and newlywed responsibilities bring to mind the demands of homemaking. These weren’t frivolous excuses—they were real ones from the men responding.

But the man hosting the feast became angry and told his servant to invite the poor, crippled, blind, and lame—those with nothing to offer but themselves, and everything to receive. When there was still room at the table, he sent his servant into far-off and hidden places to compel others to come.

None of the ones who were originally invited would taste the feast. The feast is a parable of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Prioritizing the Kingdom of God

Jesus goes on to say something challenging:

“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children… he cannot be My disciple.”

In contrast to how we naturally love and serve our families, Jesus says our devotion to Him will make it seem like we hate them. Of course, this is figurative language—it’s not about actual hate, but about how we prioritize.

Sometimes, loving and serving the Lord with all of our heart, soul, and strength will make our priorities look upside-down to others. It might look like stepping away from the homestead to spend focused, undistracted time with the Lord. It might look like worshiping even on your honeymoon. It might look like Mary, setting aside the homemaking tasks to sit at the feet of Jesus.

For me, it’s waking up early and choosing to delay making a big family breakfast or tackling the to-do list so I can read the Bible and articulate what I’ve learned into notes. I know that everyone in my household benefits from what I accomplish. So in that aspect, it might seem unloving to neglect people or tasks. But if I don’t intentionally make time to sit with the Lord, that time will slip away and go neglected.

Carrying the Cross

The disciples had to count the cost of following Jesus. It meant being kicked out of synagogues, enduring persecution, and leaving behind possessions—and sometimes even their families—to spread the gospel.

Missionaries still do this today.

All who wish to come to the Lord must carry their own cross. This is what self-sacrificial love for the Lord looks like.

Scripture Reference

Luke 14:15–27 (NASB)

15 When one of those who were reclining at the table with Him heard this, he said to Him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!”
16 But He said to him, “A man was giving a big dinner, and he invited many;
17 and at the dinner hour he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come; for everything is ready now.’
18 But they all alike began to make excuses. The first one said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of land and I need to go out and look at it; please consider me excused.’
19 Another one said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please consider me excused.’
20 Another one said, ‘I have married a wife, and for that reason I cannot come.’
21 And the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the head of the household became angry and said to his slave, ‘Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’
22 And the slave said, ‘Master, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’
23 And the master said to the slave, ‘Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled.
24 For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste of my dinner.’”
25 Now large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them,
26 “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.
27 Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.”