Is there a lesson to be learned from the events
reported in Luke 10: 40-42, Jesus’ visit
at the home of Mary and Martha?
Mary,
sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted
by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord,
doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the
work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha,
you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing
worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken
away from her.” Luke
10: 40-42
It is easy to sympathize with Martha and agree that
she has a good reason to complain that she is being treated unfairly - She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t
it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work?”
- Based on the total chapter narrative there would have been a considerable number of people at the house to feed –Jesus, His twelve disciples, and others from the neighborhood who knew Jesus by reputation and would have showed up to hear Him, once they knew He was at Mary and Martha’s.
- Mary on the other hand is behaving like one of the guests; she is oblivious to what is happening in the kitchen and has not lifted a finger to help. Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught.
- Martha is overwhelmed by the work of the big dinner she was preparing and is rightfully, you would think, irritated with her sister’s lack of caring and irresponsible behavior. So she appeals to the one person that Mary greatly respected for help – “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”
Given all these
facts, Jesus’ response is unexpected: But
the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all
these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about...”
Martha’s response to Jesus has not been recorded but I could only imagine that it
would have been a hard pill for her to swallow – that she would not have been very happy.
These process of events are difficult to understand
so I searched out commentaries written by some of the most learned minds and found a common
theme concerning Martha among them – that her doing was not from a perspective of
worldliness but a heightened sense of responsibility to provide suitably for
the Lord Jesus which caused her to become anxious, lose perspective and act in a
hasty and fretful manner in speaking to Jesus about Mary.
This portion of Matthew Henry’s commentary on Martha’s
dilemma explains the correctness of Jesus’ response best and to my
understanding (bold font is mine for
emphasis…):
Worldly
business is a snare to us, when it hinders us from serving God, and getting
good to our souls. What needless time is wasted, and expense often laid out,
even in entertaining professors of the gospel! Though Martha was on this occasion faulty, yet she was a true believer,
and in her general conduct did not neglect the one thing needful. The favour of God is needful to our
happiness; the salvation of Christ is needful to our safety. Where this is
attended to, all other things will be rightly pursued. Christ declared,
Mary hath chosen the good part. For one thing is needful, this one thing that
she has done, to give up herself to the guidance of Christ. The things of this life will be taken away
from us, at the furthest, when we shall be taken away from them; but nothing
shall separate from the love of Christ, and a part in that love. Men and
devils cannot take it away from us, and God and Christ will not. Let us mind
the one thing needful more diligently.
We too can become encumbered
and distracted with “much service” in the name of the Father. So how can we serve His people and maintain a
posture of peace with ourselves and others – without leaving Him out of
the equation and all His goodness and favor?
“Mary has discovered it, and it will not be
taken away from her.”
To be continued…
Prayer and Thanksgiving: Holy Father, Eternal and Living King. Thank you for the
Son who is our righteousness. Thank you for revealing to us the one thing that is
the most needful for a good and productive life – abiding always in your steadfast
LOVE from which nothing can ever separate us. Help us to understand that our
works are of no value if we neglect to spend time with YOU, learning of YOU. Father,
we are nothing if YOU are not the center of our lives. YOU are our good, good
Father. Teach us to always lean on your everlasting arm. The Only True
God, to whom belong all dominion, all power and all glory, for ever and
ever. We pray and ask all things in the precious Name of Jesus Christ our LORD,
the NAME above all names. Amen!
Always by God’s Word and prayer,
Cecile
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