Based on Luke 10:38–42
Some people love small talk — quick conversations about where you’re from, what you do, or your favorite color. I am not one of those people. I can talk about deep things for hours, but ask me a simple “get to know you” question and suddenly I’m stumbling.
But there is one question I have an easy answer for: “What’s your favorite season?”
My answer is all of them.
Each season plays a part in sustaining life — the newness of spring, the growth of summer, the harvest of fall, the rest of winter. Nature is built on rhythms, and every cycle has purpose. That beautiful pattern is one of the many reasons I believe in a Creator who designs with intention.
And what’s true in nature is also true in faith:
God created seasons and rhythms for the life of a disciple.
We grow best when we learn to live within them.
Mary, Martha, and the Rhythm of Discipleship
In Luke 10 we meet two sisters living out two very different moments:
- Mary sits at the feet of Jesus, listening.
- Martha works hard preparing the home and the meal.
Martha grows frustrated and asks Jesus to tell Mary to help her. But Jesus responds gently:
“Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things. Mary has chosen the better part.”
Notice what Jesus doesn’t say. He doesn’t tell Martha to stop serving. He doesn’t say Mary is better than Martha. He doesn’t declare that sitting is always more faithful than serving.
Jesus names Martha’s inner posture — “worried and distracted.”
Her work was no longer flowing from love; it was flowing from duty, stress and obligation.
Mary, on the other hand, was in a season of receiving.
And Jesus honored the season she was in.
This teaches us something essential:
Discipleship is not choosing between Mary and Martha.
It is learning when to be Mary and when to be Martha.
There is a time to sit with Jesus.
And a time to rise and serve Him.
And if we skip either one, our spiritual life becomes unbalanced.
Faith Has Seasons — Jesus’ Faith Had Seasons
When we look at Jesus’ life, we see a clear rhythm:
- Jesus withdrew to pray.
- Then He went out to teach, heal, and serve.
- He built community with His disciples.
- Then He withdrew again for rest and renewal.
A holy cycle — contemplation, action, communion, rest.
Even Jesus didn’t stay in one “mode” all the time.
He moved in rhythm with the Spirit.
And so must we.
Wesley’s Wisdom: Works of Piety & Works of Mercy
John Wesley understood this rhythm well.
He believed Christians needed:
Works of Piety
Practices like prayer, worship, scripture study, communion — our “Mary” moments of sitting at the feet of Jesus.
Works of Mercy
Serving the poor, visiting the sick, feeding the hungry — our “Martha” moments of rising to help.
Wesley insisted these two cannot be separated:
“If we would abound in works of mercy, we must continually resort to the throne of grace.”
In other words, if we are going to have the strength to continue serving, doing good works, and offering mercy, we must spend time with Jesus.
We need seasons of winter rest, spring growth, summer strengthening, and fall fruitfulness — the whole cycle — for a healthy spiritual life.
The Rhythm of a Faithful Church
The early church in Acts 2 lived this out beautifully. They:
- devoted themselves to teaching,
- prayed together,
- broke bread together,
- cared for the poor,
- met in homes and in the temple,
- worshiped with glad and sincere hearts.
Their rhythm created a spiritual ecosystem — one that sustained them and drew new believers into the faith.
The result?
“The Lord added to their number daily.”
A church becomes spiritually alive when its people live in healthy rhythms.
When we sit with Jesus, we are strengthened.
When we serve others, we bear fruit.
And when we return to Jesus again, we are renewed for another season.
Finding Your Season
So what season are you in right now?
- Maybe you’re tired, and Jesus is inviting you to rest and sit at His feet.
- Maybe you’re renewed, and Jesus is nudging you to use your gifts to bless someone.
- Maybe you’re in a season of learning, or rebuilding, or stepping out in faith.
None of these seasons are better or worse — each one is necessary for growth.
The goal is live in a spiritual rhythm that balances each of these seasons for rich spiritual growth.
The goal is to move with Jesus in the rhythm He modeled.
A Final Word for the Martha in All of Us
Jesus didn’t correct Martha’s serving — He corrected her worry.
He didn’t say, “Stop working.”
He said, “Stop being distracted.”
He invited her back into the rhythm.
And He invites us too.
We grow when we sit.
We grow when we serve.
We grow when we return to Jesus again and again.
Life with Christ is not static.
It is seasonal. It is rhythmic. It is alive.
May we learn to follow the holy rhythm that shapes us into disciples —
faith nurtured, fruit produced, hearts renewed.
Amen.