We need God because knowledge of him is not enough. Doing good is not enough. Transformation alone gives us the courage to act when we are scared and not act when we shouldn’t. The life transformed by God and filled with his Spirit becomes the life lived in power and balance.
Michele Hershberger says it like this when discussing Jesus’ encounter with the legal expert, the parable of The Good Samaritan, and the later visit to the home of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:
For Luke, service is highly valued, but if it is grounded in anything other than the transformative experience with God, it is unacceptable. The lawyer in the parable of the good Samaritan heard the word, knew the Law, but had no action. Martha had plenty of action, but it was not rooted in transformation by an encounter with the Word. Both are needed.
Hershberger, Michele. A Christian View of Hospitality: Expecting Surprises.
For this reason, even the Law was not enough. It proved good in keeping chaos at bay, but in the end, it only revealed how inadequate man was in following it to the letter. Even those who lived in accordance with the Law lacked the love required to live above the Law.
Martha wasn’t any better than the legal expert or the lawyer in the parable. She too was working out of obligation and expectation. That’s why Jesus said to her:
“Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:41-42 NIV
Finding the perfect balance can only come through the transformed life made possible through Christ. Otherwise, I’m just a Martha, working hard and complaining I don’t have time to sit with Jesus.
I include this quote from a book on hospitality, because we fail in this area as modern-day Christians. The days of hospitality are long gone; and therefore, I believe we need to refocus on our need for God to motivate us to open our homes to the stranger. It doesn’t mean we have to pull out the good china or cook a huge meal, but it does mean our homes become a lighthouse for others.
We need God in our homes. Is he in yours? A transformed heart leads to a transformed home.
Grace and Peace