{"id":2227,"date":"2023-07-27T21:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-07-27T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.waypoints.jp\/english\/?p=2227"},"modified":"2023-06-01T12:19:47","modified_gmt":"2023-06-01T03:19:47","slug":"just-one-thing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.waypoints.jp\/english\/just-one-thing\/","title":{"rendered":"Just One Thing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]

In the Waypoints manga \u201cBread Alone\u201d<\/a><\/strong> (based on Luke 10:38-42<\/a>) we meet a woman named Martha<\/strong>. She\u2019s feeling pulled in many different directions.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Why was Martha so stressed?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Martha was trapped by expectations<\/strong> \u2014 what society and culture expected from her as a woman and as a host; what was considered appropriate; what guests expected; and what she thought Jesus wanted. She no doubt placed high expectations on herself, too. And it bothered her that<\/span> her sister <\/span>Mary <\/span>didn\u2019t seem to feel the same way.<\/span>
<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.waypoints.jp\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/2023-06_bread2b.jpg” title_text=”2023-06_bread2b” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” width=”68%” width_tablet=”76%” width_phone=”100%” width_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]

Can you relate to Martha?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Modern society has its own norms, doesn\u2019t it? Of course, rules and expectations can be good; they help us get along and function as a society. But it can be too much sometimes. Many people today feel pressure from the expectations placed on them by family, workplace, society, and if they don\u2019t measure up they feel shame.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes, of course, the problem is the expectations we place on ourselves; we tend to look for meaning, value, and identity in the things we DO. This just adds to our sense of pressure, and when we fail we take it personally.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

But Jesus offers a better way.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

As we talked about in our previous blog post<\/a>, <\/span>in this story <\/span>Jesus sided with Mary!<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Jesus speaks kindly<\/em> to Martha and says,<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cMy dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Martha was not doing something wrong in this story \u2014 she was trying to do the right thing \u2014 for Jesus, in fact. But Jesus wants us more than the stuff we can do for him.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s the \u201cone thing\u201d Jesus speaks of here:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Being his disciple.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

As Jesus says elsewhere: <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cCome to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.\u201d<\/strong> (Matt. 11:28-30)<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Jesus offers you rest.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

<\/span><\/h3>\n

But this is more than just rest from work; practically speaking, there\u2019s still work to be done. But he offers a radically new way of living, one that\u2019s open to everyone, and one that frees us from the pressure to perform.<\/span><\/p>\n

Martha<\/strong> was pulled in multiple directions; Mary<\/strong> chose ONE<\/strong> \u2014 following Jesus.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

And following Jesus puts everything else in its right place.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

<\/h3>\n

<\/span><\/h3>\n

Following Jesus frees us from social pressure and reframes the expectations we have placed on us. Of course, we still have responsibilities, but we don\u2019t get our value or meaning from how well we fulfill them. Instead, we accept and live in God\u2019s acceptance through Jesus.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Martha was pulled in multiple directions; Mary chose ONE.<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Which way will YOU choose?<\/strong><\/h3>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.waypoints.jp\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/2023-06_bread1c.jpg” title_text=”2023-06_bread1c” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” width=”75%” width_tablet=”83%” width_phone=”100%” width_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the Waypoints manga \u201cBread Alone\u201d (based on Luke 10:38-42) we meet a woman named Martha. She\u2019s feeling pulled in many different directions. Why was Martha so stressed? Martha was trapped by expectations \u2014 what society and culture expected from her as a woman and as a host; what was considered appropriate; what guests expected; […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2234,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2227","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bible"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.waypoints.jp\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2227","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.waypoints.jp\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.waypoints.jp\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.waypoints.jp\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.waypoints.jp\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2227"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.waypoints.jp\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2227\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.waypoints.jp\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2234"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.waypoints.jp\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2227"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.waypoints.jp\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2227"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.waypoints.jp\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2227"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}