iChaplain

Few Bible stories are as familiar as the account of Martha and Mary in Luke 10. It is often presented as a contrast between activity and contemplation, with Martha representing the busy Christian and Mary representing the devoted disciple who sits at Jesus' feet. The lesson is usually framed as a warning against busyness and a reminder to slow down and spend time with Jesus. While there is certainly truth in that application, I wonder whether we sometimes miss the deeper issue altogether. When Jesus arrived at Martha's home, she immediately began serving Him. She prepared, hosted and attended to the needs of her guest. Given the importance of hospitality in Jewish culture, it is difficult to see her actions as anything other than an attempt to honour Jesus. The text never suggests that serving Him was wrong. In fact, it was good. The turning point in the story comes when Martha notices that Mary is not helping. While Martha is busy serving, Mary is sitting and listening to J...

Have you ever discovered that something you've believed for years isn't actually true? Not because someone lied to you. Not because you weren't paying attention. Simply because you'd heard it repeated so many times that you assumed it must be true.  That happens with Jesus more than we might realise. Over the years, we've attached all sorts of sayings to Him that sound spiritual, inspirational, and even biblical. Phrases like  "Follow your heart,"  "Believe in yourself,"  "Be true to yourself," "Everything happens for a reason,"  "God helps those who help themselves,"  "Money is the root of all evil," have become part of our cultural vocabulary. Many people assume they came from Jesus or at least from the Bible. The problem is that Jesus never said any of them.  In fact, one of them isn't even an accurate Bible quotation. The Bible doesn't say, "Money is the root of all evil." It says, ...