anxious

Being anxious is something everyone experiences now and then. In the Gospel According to Luke 10:38-42 (NABRE), Jesus chastises Martha for having many cares or anxieties, a condition many in our world today can relate to. What exactly is it about Martha’s behavior that Jesus sees as less than ideal? What can we learn from Jesus about coping with our own anxieties?

The Greek word μεριμνάω (merimnao) means “to care for” and has both positive and negative uses throughout the Old Testament. Having cares and concerns is not in itself a bad thing. Where Martha gets in trouble is that she cares for “many things.” Being anxious about these things divides her focus and attention. Jesus asks us to put our care and focus on him, which Martha’s sister Mary does.

What cares or concerns are drawing your focus and attention? How can those things end up distracting you from Jesus? Ask Jesus to help you to be less anxious about cares and concerns over which you have little control.

you also may like our study of the Gospel According to John
The Gospel According to John: An Encounter with Grace & Truth, a 25-lesson Catholic Bible study with an imprimatur, examines the Fourth Gospel’s view of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, with special emphasis on the institution of the sacraments of the Church as the means by which Christians are purified and made holy. This recently revised study includes maps and additional commentary, and takes a closer look at the way in which Jesus relates to individual men and women. Click on the book’s cover to view a sample lesson.

Click on the picture of the statue of Moses with horns (above) to learn more about Lost in Translation. A new entry is archived each Monday. Contact us to receive Lost in Translation by email every week. You may use any of the contact links on our website to ask Matthew a question.