“‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘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 10:41-42).
Martha opened her home to Jesus and his disciples, giving them a place to rest from their travels. More than that, as a welcoming hostess, she prepared a meal for them—at least 15 people all together! That’s no small feat.
With all the preparations that had to be made, it’s no wonder that she got distracted. While her sister was listening to Jesus teach, Martha was thinking about all the things she had to do. While Martha was trying to prepare the meal and provide for her guests, Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet. Not preparing the meal or seemingly helping in any way whatsoever.
I remember not understanding Martha’s frustration in this account when I was younger.
Why would Martha work herself up to venting finally to Jesus himself, complaining that he should tell her sister to help? Don’t you care, Lord? She’s left all the work to me!
Now, I can empathize with Martha. I’m not an entertainer of many guests in my home, but I can fall into the same trap as her. Even acts of service to God and my family can become distractions when I focus on them over and above listening to God’s Word.
Martha wanted to serve her Lord. Welcoming him into her home and preparing a meal for him and his disciples, that was service. And that service was a good and God-pleasing thing . . . until it wasn’t. Until the service became the focus—what she was doing for Jesus instead of what he was doing for her and her sister.
Martha needed Jesus to reorient her and shift her focus away from herself. Because he did care. He cared deeply—not about the chores that Martha thought needed to be done but about Martha herself.
“‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘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.’”
I need to hear those gentle, chiding words from Jesus because I get distracted, worried, and upset about a great many things. Maybe you do too.
First things first. Our God gives us what we need so that we can serve him. He fills us up with his Word and strengthens us to go out and live for him. Time and again, he shows us what he has done for us in sending Jesus to rescue us from our sins and welcome us into his family.
There is a time for service, but it comes after sitting at Jesus’ feet, listening to him and his gospel message. It comes after we’ve been served by our God.
Dear Christian, take time each day to just sit and listen to your Savior in his Word. And then, refreshed with the knowledge of what he has done for you, go and serve your Savior with joy.
Sanctification is a big part of the Christian life. But it often gets misunderstood. Why do we do what we do as God’s children? What does sanctification even mean? For answers to those questions, practical applications to your life, and more, check out Sanctification: Alive in Christ.
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Alex Brown is the marketing and content copywriter at Northwestern Publishing House. He has his Master of Divinity degree from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary and enjoys reading, writing, and spending time in God’s creation.
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