Graduation, weddings, birthday parties . . . Occasions you might be invited to. Invitations often come with an RSVP. Common courtesy requires a proper response. For anyone who's not sure how to respond, Emily Post is always ready to help, even if the invitation is to the White House. According to Emily, an invitation to the White House, Is a command and automatically cancels any other engagement. An invite from the president is indeed a high honor, an honor most of us will never receive. But what about when it's not the president, but the Lord who gives you the invite? And what do you when you've been invited by Jesus, but there are previous engagements? Answer: Jesus' invite automatically cancels any other engagement. That's what the Bible teaches us.

Long ago, as we read in Luke 10, a friend of Jesus by the name of Martha needed to learn this very thing. Martha thought that her service to Jesus was more important than listening to Jesus' teach. Martha's sister Mary on the other hand understood her priorities. Here's what happened. Jesus and his disciples came to visit the sisters in Bethany, not far from Jerusalem. The sisters, wanting to be good host as was their custom got busy; there was so much to do. But while Martha busied herself, Mary did not help. Instead Mary chose to sit at Jesus' feet listening to what He had to say. She chose to listen first, serve later. Martha chose the other way. Only when she got all her duties done, would she take time to listen.

Jesus said, Mary has chosen what is better. Translation: When it's time for church, for Sunday school, for devotion, for prayer . . . all other engagements (no matter the priority or pleasure) are off. That is the simple but very significant lesson. But that's not all. There's something deeper yet to be learned. It's been said that all the world's religions can be boiled down to two words: Do or Done. Do religions tell people they have to do stuff to earn God's favor. In other words, service comes first. But that religion we've called Done says that Jesus already did it all for you. Therefore, listening to Jesus comes first. For all the promises of God find their Yes in (Jesus). That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for it is Glory. 2 Corinthians 1:20 Jesus has given us the done religion. Our service to God, no matter how constant and devoted will never merit his favor. Why? Because we are sinners, unholy and unworthy before a perfect God. Take for example John the Baptist. John never pointed to himself, but to Jesus. Behold the Lamb of God. The same Jesus who when on the cross said, It is finished! Therefore we will listen to Jesus first, then serve him later out of thanks and love for what He has done.

Pastor Kelly Mitteis