Pay Attention
“This mystery has been kept in the dark for a long time, but now it’s out in the open. God wanted everyone, not just Jews, to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, so therefore you can look forward to sharing in God’s glory. It’s that simple.” (Colossians 1:26-27, The Message)
According to a 2016 University of Nebraska-Lincoln study, college students spend a lot of time during class playing with their smart phones and other digital devices on activities unrelated to the class. The students admitted that they don’t pay attention, miss information being taught, and that their grades may suffer.
I’m not sure how teachers deal with this problem today, but when I was in school, if a teacher saw that he or she was losing the attention of the class, the teacher would say, “Pay attention, class!” or “Write this down!” That was a sure tip off that we would be tested on the material being covered.
Being distracted is a major problem these days not only in the classroom, but also on the road, on the job, and at home. Some states have passed laws against texting while driving after noting the increase in accidents caused by texting drivers. Workplace distractions are a drain on worker productivity. Not paying attention to loved ones at home can result in undetected illnesses, substance abuse, and many relationship problems.
Clearly, we need to focus. We need to pay attention to what is happening in the moment. The Scripture texts for next Sunday emphasize the importance of paying attention to the moment.[1] The Old Testament text is similar to the Gospel text because in each story there is a key character who was paying attention to what was important, and one who was not paying attention.
In the Genesis account, “God appeared to Abraham . . . while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent. It was the hottest part of the day. He looked up and saw three men standing. He ran from his tent to greet them and bowed before them . . . He said, ‘Master, if it please you, stop for a while with your servant. I’ll get some water so you can wash your feet. Rest under this tree. I’ll get some food to refresh you on your way, since your travels have brought you across my path’” (Genesis 18: 1-5). The text recounts that God appeared to Abraham; we learn as the story progresses that the visitors were the Lord and two angels[2]. Presumably, Abraham did not know that, but extended the hospitality to them that was expected in that culture.
Abraham was paying attention to the needs of the travelers. He surmised that they were probably hot and tired and in need of rest and refreshment. But Sarah wasn’t paying attention when the lesson on hospitality was taught. Because she was well past normal child-bearing age, she disrespected the men by laughing at them when one promised that she would bear a child within the year. The Lord said “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14). Sarah could have at least kept her opinion to herself. As the author of Hebrews pointed out, “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing, some people have entertained angels without knowing it” (Hebrews 13:1). And what is more important than spending time with God?
That was the point made by Jesus during the dinner party at Martha and Mary’s home. Martha was slaving away in the kitchen preparing the meal and got teed off because her sister was relaxing and chatting with Jesus and wasn’t helping her. Jesus responded, “Martha, Martha, . . . you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10: 41). It isn’t that Martha’s work was unimportant, it’s just that spending time with the Lord was more important during the time that he was in their home. Part of the art of hospitality is spending time with your guests. In order to do that, a host may need to spend hours before the guests arrive to prepare for them– cleaning the house, setting the table, and preparing foods to heat or serve at mealtime. Jesus was pointing out that we need to prioritize—to pay attention to what is important in the moment.
Paul asked the church at Colossae to pay attention to the significance of what had happened with the appearance of Christ and the resurrection so that they didn’t miss it: “This mystery has been kept in the dark for a long time, but now it’s out in the open. . . God wanted everyone, not just Jews, to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, so therefore you can look forward to sharing in God’s glory. It’s that simple.” (Colossians 1:26-27, The Message). The resurrection was for everyone—God is for everyone—not just the Jews. The mystery has been solved! Pay attention!
David knew what was important when he wrote: “One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple” (Psalm 27:4).
These Scriptures teach us the importance of paying attention to our Christian responsibility of hospitality and paying attention to the Word. Don’t scoff at God’s claims to transform your life. He can do more in your life than you ever imagined. We never know whom God will send to meet us on the road we are on—someone we can help, or someone who can help us. Spending time with God should be priority #1 for Christians, as Jesus pointed out to Martha. We don’t have to travel miles to find Jesus. He sent his Spirit to be with us and in us. Pay attention–it’s that simple.
Prayer: Lord, teach us to pay attention to what is important. Help us to drop the unimportant trivia from our lives so that we have time to spend with you. Illuminate the words of Holy Scripture for us so that we can understand where you are leading us. Amen
Praying the Scriptures: Choose a word or phrase each day from the Scriptures quoted above to pray during the coming week.
Diane Cieslikowski Reagan
[1]The Scripture texts for next Sunday are Genesis 18:1-10a (10b-14); Psalm 27:(1-6) 7-14; Colossians 1:21-29; Luke 10:38-42.
Diane Reagan 
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