Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore, tell her to help me.”
And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42
As we see from the above, Jesus spent time in the homes of many people. He had a special relationship with Mary, Martha and Lazarus, because they were some of his staunchest supporters. They pleaded with Jesus to come to their aid when Lazarus was sick, and Jesus, in possibly his last recorded miracle before the cross, raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11). He cared for this family; he wept when they wept, and he reinforced God’s teaching about the home.
God set up the family unit in Genesis 2:18-24. The first time in the Genesis account when the term “It is not good,” is used is when God said it was not good for man to be alone. God gave Adam Eve, made from his rib bone, and she completed him. And God said, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Some quick thoughts appear immediately when we look at this passage:
- 1.God set up the home! Man has since tried to redefine what homes are, in an effort to justify sin and wrongdoing. Because God is Almighty, and because he knows what is best for man, he knew that marriage should be for one man and woman for life.
- 2.This does away with the idea of divorce for any reason (See Matthew 19:1-9 – which we will discuss later); and any other marriage relationship that man can imagine or devise from his heart.
- 3.Homes are set up when men and women leave their fathers and mothers. The home they grew up in as children must be left to start another home. Fathers and mothers have the responsibility to teach their children to be able to “stand on their own two feet” when they leave to begin another home. FURTHER, it is the responsibility of parents to teach their children to love God first and put God first in everything. The best way to do that is by setting the best example that GOD MUST COME FIRST! The church can and should help, but the Bible makes it clear that parents will be held accountable for the way they have reared their children – Ephesians 6:1-4; Proverbs 22:6; 29:15; Colossians 3:21.
- 4.Man and woman are to be joined together as husband and wife. This addresses the physical aspect of the relationship. To share one another in the way that God intended is the best way to cement the relationship physically, emotionally and spiritually. How sad that our culture teaches that man and women can sleep around with anyone they wish. God condemns this as sin and will hold men accountable for it. How sad that divorce has been made easy, and for any reason, when God never intended for such to happen.
- 5.From the above, children are born. Children have the RIGHT to have a MOTHER and a FATHER in the home to help rear them – to show them love, and to exemplify Christ to them. One of the saddest things that has happened in our culture is the disintegration of the home, which in turn affects the next generation, and will continue to affect generations to come.
- 6.The things stated above can be and will be elaborated more in articles soon to come (Lord willing).
Pray for our homes! Pray for our country! Pray for the spread of the gospel of Jesus, as this is the only hope men have.
Tommy
