August is here, and with it comes the familiar rush of the “back to school” season. All across the country, pencils are being sharpened and backpacks are being stuffed. Within our own fellowship, our Christian day schools, Sunday schools, and Immanuel Lutheran High School, College, and Seminary are preparing for a new academic year of Christian education.
When we hear the phrase Christian Education, our minds naturally jump to children. We picture little ones coloring a picture of Noah’s ark or teenagers memorizing the catechism. But Christian education is not just for the young. No adult in the pew ever “graduates” from the need to grow in the Word.
In the Gospel of Luke, we’re given a profound picture of what lifelong Christian education looks like. We’re brought into the home of two sisters, Martha and Mary. We’re told that Mary “sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word.“ (Luke 10:39 NKJV)
Mary and Martha by Harold Copping 1927
Mary was not a child; she was a grown woman. Yet, when the Master Teacher entered her home, her immediate posture was that of a student. She recognized that no matter her age or life experience, the words of Jesus were the most important thing she could absorb.
Are we always so eager to take that seat? If we’re honest, we often look a lot more like Mary’s sister. The Lord gently tells her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.“ (Luke 10:41 NKJV) Those words often describe us perfectly. We’re distracted by the constant pressure of adult life: careers, finances, running households, and maintaining schedules.
How often do we let the urgent crowd out the eternal? We skip adult Bible class because after a week of managing aging parents, negotiating with toddlers, or staring at spreadsheets, finding the mental focus for an hour of instruction feels impossible. We intend to open our Bibles at home, but the sheer exhaustion of just keeping our heads above water leaves us reaching for sleep or mindless entertainment instead. We become spiritually malnourished, starving our souls while desperately trying to keep up with the demands of daily life.
But listen to the gentle voice of our Savior. He doesn’t cast Martha out. Instead, He lovingly corrects her misplaced priorities to rescue her from her own exhaustion. He points her, and us, away from our exhausting efforts and back to the quiet classroom of His grace. He says, “But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:42 NKJV)
That “one thing needed” is the Word of God. It is in this unchanging Word that we find the sweet Gospel: the truth that your sins—even your sins of misplaced priorities—are completely washed away by the blood of Christ. This Gospel brings the peace of knowing that your salvation is a finished work, completely independent of how busy, frazzled, or unsuccessful your week might be. This is not a lesson we learn once in confirmation class and then move on from. It is the Bread of Life our Savior freely gives to nourish us every single day until we safely reach heaven.
Christian education is not a burdensome duty. It is a place of true rest. We never outgrow our need to hear our Savior’s voice. As this new school year begins, let us certainly pray for our students, teachers, and professors. But let us also hear the Savior’s invitation for ourselves.
The Master Teacher is calling you out of the weary world and into His classroom. Through the Sunday sermon, Bible class, and your personal and family devotions in the home, He invites you to rest. Come, lay your burdens down, and join Mary. Let us sit together at the feet of Jesus.
is pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Winter Haven, Florida, and a member of the CLC Board of Missions.