After Jesus taught the parable of the Good Samaritan, he made a journey into a nearby village (Luke 10:37). Two women are introduced, Martha and Mary, sisters of Lazarus, a friend of Jesus. Martha invited Jesus into her home and was focused on preparing a meal for her guest. Whereas her younger sister Mary ‘sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching‘ (Luke 10:39).

We can read the story of Martha and Mary and easily conclude that we should all be like Mary and not Martha. Or we should all be sitting at His feet instead of serving. While there is some truth to this, it is also important to remember that Jesus wasn’t against Martha serving; He was more concerned about something else. Despite being a short passage, there is always something that we can learn.

1. Mary worshipped, while Martha worried.

Luke 10:39
And she [Martha] had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching.

This was the same Mary who broke the alabaster jar and anointed Jesus, in front of his disciples and much to the dismay of the Pharisees. She had wept at his feet and wiped her tears with her hair (Luke 7:37-38). A woman who did not care how undignified she looked in the sight of others. The only person that mattered was the man who had the power to forgive people of their sins.

Though Jesus was in their home, he was still to be revered. Mary could have sat anywhere else, but she chose to sit at his feet, thus taking the lowest position. To take such a lowly position was a sign of humility, submission and worship. This wasn’t new to her. If anything, the position she chose reflected her heart posture.

Mary listened attentively because the teacher had something important to say. Unless Jesus had said otherwise, she would not move. Like Jesus’ disciples, wherever Jesus went, they followed. Their desire was to learn from and become like their Rabbi (teacher). Mary modelled what discipleship looked like. She was willing to lay down her life for the One who would soon lay down his life for many.

It’s interesting how two siblings can live together but have completely different perspectives or experiences. Two sisters were in the presence of Jesus, the Son of God. One was a worshipper, while the other was a worrier. Even though the Prince of Peace was in the room, Martha’s heart was troubled.

The difference between the two sisters was their focus. This is a lesson for us. The character of Jesus Christ does not change. He will always be worthy of our worship, time and surrender. However, it is us who change. Sometimes our focus shifts depending on what surrounds us.

2. Mary was devoted, but Martha was distracted.

Mary’s position to sit at his feet also showed that she was devoted to the Lord’s teaching. This is something for us to think about, are we able to sit at Jesus’ feet and give Him our undivided attention? Do we set aside time with the Lord, regardless of our to-do lists? Are we determined not to leave the room until we have first spoken with Him.

Or are we like Martha who tries to multi-task, thus giving Jesus’ a half-hearted response? We know He’s always present and that He “knows” our heart (and schedule). But we don’t realize that we’ve become familiar. Jesus was in the room and Martha hadn’t slowed down, she was on the move.

Luke 10:40-41
But Martha was distracted with much serving. ⁴¹And 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.”

Martha was frustrated and had every right to feel that way. It wouldn’t have been easy for her to cook and clean by herself. A pair of helping hands would go a long way. In Martha’s eyes, she was doing an important work and Mary was distracted. Except, the verse tells us that it’s the other way round – ‘Martha was distracted with much serving’.

The word distracted means to be ‘pre-occupied with something’ or ‘too busy’. Martha was ‘pre-occupied’ with much serving. Martha was ‘too busy’ with much serving. Whichever word works best, the scripture highlights the fact that it drew her attention away from the Lord. She was in the presence of Jesus, but she was not present.

Like Martha, we have a desire to honour the Lord and give Him our best. But sometimes, we can miss Him along the way. This can happen when we neglect the secret place, just to have a platform. Or when serving becomes an idol, where we find more satisfaction in what we do for Him, rather than being with Him.

Maybe we’ve convinced ourselves that serving is the hallmark of a “true” Christian, forgetting that it’s the fruit that makes the difference. We can only bear fruit if we abide in Him (John 15:4). Our public ministry is only as rich as our private relationship with Jesus.

What good is it, if we do all these things for Him but do not know Him. How disappointing would it be to hear our Lord say, “I never knew you” (Matthew 7:21-23). All because we confused productivity with intimacy with Jesus Christ.

3. Martha had a need, but Jesus believed one thing was necessary.

Luke 10:41-42
But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, ⁴² but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.

Martha thought her feelings would be validated; however, she was met with a different response. She received a loving rebuke instead. From the outside looking in, Martha was a great hostess and yet Jesus could see that her heart was heavy. This is a beautiful reminder that He sees everything.

Jesus looks beyond our performance and looks at the posture of our hearts. He cares more about the state of the minister than the ministry itself. He is not moved by how well we host people, but by how well we honour Him. Serving the Lord shouldn’t be a burden unless we’re striving, when we should be abiding in Him.

The things Martha was worried about was important to her. She had needs that weren’t met. In fact, she had cried out to Jesus and assumed that he did not “care” (Luke 10:40). However, Jesus had a different perspective. He redirected her gaze from the cares of life to the One who cared about her soul. To him, that was of great necessity.

Luke 10:42
but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.

Some bible translations write that Mary has chosen ‘what is best; the better part’, emphasizing the importance of the decision she had made. The decision to sit at his feet was to be commended and Jesus made it clear that it ‘will not be taken away from her.’ Almost to suggest that Mary could have been persuaded to leave her current position to satisfy her sister’s demands.

Mary had chosen the good portion, an inheritance that is promised to all those who have a relationship with Jesus. To be able to commune with Him, which wasn’t possible before in the Old Testament. It was unheard of that a holy God would come down in the flesh, walk among people and suffer, all because He wanted to be known and for us to know Him.

Sitting at the feet of Jesus may seem like a passive action but it takes great discipline to be still in His presence, when there are so many things that could be done, that demands our attention. Sitting at the feet of Jesus is an invitation for all of us, for the Lord is no respecter of persons.

Each of us has the tendency to become like Martha or Mary at any given moment. It’s not until the Lord corrects us, which is an act of kindness, that we realize that we’re out of alignment with Him. As mentioned earlier, Jesus wasn’t against Martha serving. He was concerned about her spiritual state.

Although, we don’t know the outcome of that conversation, whether Martha had repented. One thing is certain, Jesus desires for all of us to sit at his feet – a necessity. This is how we can hear and know His voice, to be able to follow Him. It’s not until we wait on Him, that we can receive the instructions that we need. It’s only when we sit at His feet and listen to His word that we know what truly matters to Him.

God bless,
Susan.