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Divine Dining March 13, 2026 Devotional

by David Joynt on March 13, 2026


LUKE 10:41 | 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things,

 

Jesus refuses to be drawn in as an accessory in Martha’s family drama. He rightly does not want to bear someone else’s disappointment or criticism. Nor does He validate Martha’s feelings. Instead He makes an observation about her demeanor. She is anxious and distracted by many things.

 

Herein lies an irony. In an effort to entertain well, mastering the details, and offering a great meal, Martha finds herself so hassled that she is being critical of her chief guest and dear sister. The spirit of welcome and joy at the heart of entertaining has been lost. The one thing necessary is attention to the people we are called to love and bless. This can be expressed in the way we entertain but is most evident in the way we are present with them.

 

Are you present with others or distracted?

 

 

Gracious God,

Let me be fully present with people. Help me put away distraction so they don’t feel like obstacles to my agenda or burdens to carry.

Amen

About the Author
David Joynt

Dave Joynt began his service as a pastor at Valley Presbyterian Church in Paradise Valley, Arizona in September 2014. This meant a move away from the Northeast, where he has a long history, growing up in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and then serving congregations in Delaware and New Jersey for a total of 23 years.

Dave was nurtured in a great church in Bethlehem where his parents, Anne and Carey, served as elders. He graduated in classics from Lehigh University where his Father taught, and then from Oxford, where he met his wife Julia. Ordained in 1988, he completed a Ph.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1993.

He and Julia have a son, Tristan, and a daughter, Madeleine.

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