One Thing is Needed

As I prepared and preached this message, I kept coming back to a simple question Jesus keeps asking us—what is actually needed? Not what is urgent. Not what is expected. Not even what is good. But what is necessary.

In Luke 10, Martha isn’t doing anything wrong. She’s serving Jesus. She’s opening her home. She’s being hospitable. Yet Luke tells us she was “distracted.” The word carries the idea of being pulled apart, fragmented, stretched in too many directions. And Jesus lovingly names what’s happening inside her: anxiety.

That’s what struck me most. Anxiety isn’t always a sign that we’re doing bad things. Often, it’s the result of doing too many good things without a centered heart.

Jesus doesn’t shame Martha. He doesn’t tell her to stop serving. Instead, He gently reduces the noise and points her back to what matters most. “There is only one thing worth being concerned about.”

Mary chooses attentiveness. She sits at Jesus’ feet. And Jesus says something remarkable—what she has chosen will not be taken away from her. That language echoes the idea of inheritance throughout Scripture. What we receive from being present with Jesus cannot be stolen by busyness, circumstances, or even loss.

This passage reminded me that spiritual maturity isn’t always about adding more. Sometimes it’s about letting go—letting go of competing priorities, expectations, and distractions so our hearts can be re-centered.

Good things lose their goodness when they crowd out what is necessary.

My prayer—for myself and for our church—is that we would learn to anchor our attention to Christ, so that when everything else is shaken, what truly matters remains. What is needed hasn’t changed. Jesus is still inviting us to come, sit, and receive.