Get Over It
By Tracey Jessup
Gardner Webb
“Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.’ But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.’” — Luke 10:38-42
According to nationaldaycalendar.com, there are over 1,500 national days. However, one, in particular, caught my attention this year. March 9th is Get Over It Day. Strategically the midpoint between Valentine’s Day & April Fool’s Day, Get Over It Day was conceived in 2005 by Jeff Goldblatt, an entrepreneur in Atlanta who was struggling to get over an ex-girlfriend.
Recognizing it was a universal concept to which many people could relate, Goldblatt wrote a Get Over It Day “Perspective Poem,” and the concept quickly went viral. According to his website (GetOverItDay.com), the day has been featured on Good Morning America, ESPN’s SportsCenter, and more than 1000 media outlets worldwide, and has reached over 27 million people as of March 9, 2019.
Today’s passage follows the story of the Parable of the Good Samaritan, which began with a lawyer asking Jesus, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 10:25). The lawyer was partially correct. Eternal life is something to be inherited. However, to receive an inheritance, one must be an heir, and no amount of “doing” will make one an heir. Keeping God’s commandments is the way of life, not a way to life. The account of Jesus visiting Martha and Mary makes this clear.
As Jesus passes through the village where Martha and Mary live, Martha welcomes him into her home. During Jesus’ visit, Mary sits at his feet and listens to his teaching. Martha, on the other hand, “was distracted by her many tasks.” Thankfully, Jesus does not tell Martha simply to “get over it.” Instead, he offers an important lesson that while practical service does have its place and certainly is acceptable to the Lord, God’s call to follow him does not mean a fluster of service and religious activity undertaken in our own strength. Instead, it is the total surrender of our lives to be willing to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow Jesus (Luke 9:23).
In The Message of Luke, David Wilcock writes, “It is only when by God’s grace we have become the right sort of people – his people, by the new birth – that we begin to do the right sort of things. The way of Jesus is one of devotion and dedication, both in following him and in heralding him. But the way is not…a matter of assiduous ‘religion’ and frenzied service, of busy-ness and incessant good works. It means not an achievement, but commitment; not activities, but attitudes; not quantity, but quality” (p. 123).
Prayer: Lord, we are worried and distracted so easily by many things. Give us the grace to choose what is needed most as we follow you.
Located in the North Carolina foothills, Gardner-Webb University is a private, Christian, liberal arts university, Gardner-Webb emphasizes a strong student-centered experience and rigorous academics to prepare students to become effective leaders within the global community. Ignite your future at Gardner-Webb.edu.
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Dr. Tracey Jessup serves as vice president for Christian Life and Service and senior minister to the University. He isa graduate of Gardner-Webb with a B.A. in Music and earned his M. Div. degree at Samford University’s Beeson Divinity School. He completed his Ph.D. at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He also teaches in the undergraduate department of religious studies and enjoys the opportunity to serve the local church through interim pastorates, pulpit supply, and preaching revival services. he and his wife, Teresa, have two children, Christian and Anna.
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