In our last post we introduced the story of Mary and Martha. We saw that both Mary and Martha faced a decision regarding if and how they would prioritize their relationship with Jesus. In this post we’ll look more closely at Martha’s dilemma and the choices she made.
As we read Scripture, it’s important to remember that God is the storyteller and He has a reason for telling this story. So as we read the story of Mary and Martha, our goal should be to understand God’s purpose in telling this story.
The story
Here is the story of Mary and Martha as recorded in Luke 10:
“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.’ But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.’ ” Luke 10:38-42
Martha’s story
Let’s begin with Martha’s story. What does God tell us about her?
The name “Martha” is the feminine version of the word for “lord” or “master.” The stories in John 11 and 12:1-3 suggest that Martha is the elder of the home, with Lazarus and Mary being her younger siblings. So the responsibilities of the home and its affairs rested with Martha.
In verse 38 we see Martha fulfilling the role of the master of the house when she invites Jesus and His followers into her home. Showing hospitality to travelers and strangers was deeply important in Jewish culture, and Martha meant to honor her God by her obedience.
From this brief account we can see that Martha is like most of us – responsible, conscientious, wanting to do good, wanting to be valuable. She cared about Jesus and his disciples. She wanted them to be comfortable and to be refreshed after their day of travel.
Martha’s conflict
As Martha was busy providing for the needs of her guests, Jesus began to teach those who had gathered in her home. This caused a conflict for Martha. Should she focus on serving Jesus and His disciples or should she stop for a while and be with Jesus?
Martha’s conflict was one we all face almost every day, the choice between busying ourselves with our list of things to be done, or first spending some time with Jesus. That’s one of the beauties of this short story – it’s so easy to relate to.
Martha had legitimate responsibilities. She had a house full of weary travelers that needed her care. It was the expectation of her culture that she serve the guests in her home.
At the same time, Jesus Himself was sitting in her living room, teaching those who had gathered there. His words were always so refreshing, so healing. She must have wished she could sit for a while and listen.
Martha’s choice
In the end, Martha chose to satisfy the expectations of those around her (and probably her expectations of herself) and serve her guests. In making this choice, Martha chose a good thing. We shouldn’t take that away from her. But it also meant she could not hear from Jesus in that moment.
In our own lives there are so many things demanding our time and attention. The daily pressure from the urgent and important tasks is real. But it is our responsibility to manage that pressure and make the best choices we can. We will look at this in a future post.
In the meantime, no matter what your list looks like today, choose to spend some time with Jesus.