WRITTEN BY MICHELE HANSEN
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.
But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord [Jesus] 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 10:38-42)
What is it about this snapshot in Christ’s life that makes what Mary was doing “better” than what Martha was doing? I know a lot of “Marthas”. I envy their take-charge, “get ‘er done” ability. I confess, I am more geared to being a “Mary” sort of person and could probably benefit from a little more “Martha” action in my life at times.
I think we can glean several takeaways just from this little passage of scripture. One thing I notice right away in the previous verse was a word I think is very relevant… “distracted.” I believe we live in a world of “malignant distractedness”…and it’s only getting worse. Amen?
Another aspect of this verse that keeps knocking in my brain is, what if Martha could be busy, but not distracted? Is there such a thing? Could she have been content to work and still enjoy the presence of the Lord?
How about this. Martha said to Jesus, “Don’t you care?” Reading this verse, do you think maybe Martha was miffed because Mary was getting the attention and she was left with the responsibility? How about her accusation that Jesus didn’t care?
How about the fact that Martha didn’t ask Mary to help her (at least that we see in the scripture) and (maybe) wanted Jesus to call her out? Maybe Martha was trying to get Jesus to acknowledge how responsible she was? How good of a job she was doing?
Why do you think Jesus said Martha’s name twice in the scripture?
I think His rebuke of Martha was filled with tender compassion. He knew Martha was “worried and upset” and He wanted to get her attention. He probably wanted her to focus on Him for a moment and get her bearings and priorities straight…for her sake. Maybe?
What do you think Mary’s attitude was when Martha came to Jesus and told Him to tell her (Mary) to come help her (Martha)? According to the scripture, she was “sitting at His feet, listening.” Mary would have been sitting right there when Martha addressed Jesus.
Jesus said that Mary chose what was better. What do you think was the better choice? Do you think Mary thought it was a better choice? Jesus said, “It will not be taken from her.” I had an impression about what wouldn’t be taken away from her…perhaps the very life of the words Jesus spoke, filling Mary with eternal strength and joy? Maybe it was the impact of being in the presence of the Lord Jesus, absorbing the eternal essence of His love and character? Maybe all those things and infinitely more.
Another thing about that specific scene is the physical position of Mary, Martha and Jesus. I imagine Jesus was sitting in a seat of some kind because it says that Mary was “at His feet.” Mary was positioned “lower” than Jesus. Martha seems to be standing above Jesus. I might be reading more into this, but this piece of the focus came some time after I wrote the initial theme.
I get the sense that it is important for us to be in the correct spiritual “spatial” position to Christ. In humility, Mary was in a humble position “under” Christ and able to receive. Martha was standing up, (I would imagine since she was tending to all the “preparations”), and that put her in a position “over”, perhaps letting Jesus know that He was missing an important detail…her plans, her preparations. How often am I “standing up” and telling Jesus what I think is most important thus missing out on what is “better”?
Jesus loved Mary and Martha. When it comes to having a relationship with Jesus, there is no competition. Jesus seeks our good and He loves us unconditionally. Mary had the correct “position” and Jesus wanted Martha to have that.
He wants all of us to have that as well.
This year, one of the things I want to do is let the Holy Spirit show us just what God might want us to know about our position before Jesus, how we listen to Him, what we learn when we listen to Him and all the other things that come as a result of having that close, one-on-one relationship with Him as well as those we do life with. How might our lives be different if we took more time to just be, “At His Feet”.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)
