“Martha, Martha…”

by Micky Galloway

In Luke 10:38-42 we read of two sisters in Bethany, Martha and Mary. These were apparently friends of Jesus. These two sisters and their brother Lazarus (John 11), were good people who loved Jesus and He loved them. As Jesus visits with these sisters a remarkable contrast begins to unfold. Martha and Mary illustrate two opposite attitudes and affections.

Mary “…sat at the Lord's feet, and heard His word” (verse 39). She listened attentively to His instructions and took full advantage of this opportunity to learn from the Master teacher. She evidenced interest and desire to obey the will of the Lord. We too, must manifest this same zeal to learn and obey. Jesus said, “Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness …” (Matthew 5:6). The word “blessed” means “happy” (The Online Bible Thayer's Greek Lexicon and Brown, Driver & Briggs Hebrew Lexicon, Copyright © 1993). “Righteousness” simply means to be right with God. All God's commandments are righteousness. Psalms 119:172 says, “Let my tongue sing of thy word; for all thy commandments are righteousness” (see also Psalms 119:138, 144). Please note that we are not to hunger and thirst after happiness, rather the man who is seeking righteousness is happy. If you are putting happiness before righteousness, you will be doomed to misery.

Martha however, “was cumbered about much serving…” (verse 40). She was not sitting where Mary was. Martha was not an evil woman. She had many commendable qualities. She was a diligent housekeeper, gracious hostess, and desired to express grand hospitality. All of these are honorable and commendable attributes of womanhood (cf. I Timothy 5:14; Titus 2:4-5). The Master had come to her house for a visit and she offers Him the best hospitality she could. However, Martha was so absorbed in what she could do for Jesus, she had forgotten all about what Jesus could do for her.

As sisters sometimes do, Martha became critical of Mary and said, “Lord dost thou not care that my sister did leave me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me” (verse 40). Martha interrupts Jesus' instruction to involve Him in a personal dispute. She speaks as one who is angry toward her sister, else she would not have troubled the Lord about the matter. Such temporal things often become the source of disruption in the closest of relationships whether it be in the home, church, or community. As often is the case, Martha had misjudged her sister.

Indeed, Martha was troubled or “anxious about many things.” The “many things” that occupied Martha's mind cause her to be distracted from the “one thing” that was needful. Certainly, the “many things” on Martha's mind were important to her and were not sinful in themselves, but her priorities were wrong. As important as it was to be a good hostess to the Lord of glory, it not as important as sitting at His feet and devoting full, undivided attention to His instruction.

Jesus commended Mary. “But one thing is needful: for Mary hath chosen the good part” (Verse 42). Mary had chosen to sit at the Master's feet to learn His will. Compared to this, the “many things” are of little importance. Jesus said, “But seek ye first His kingdom and His righteousness; and these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). Nothing without this will do us any good in this world, and nothing but this will do us any good in the world to come! The cares of this world will choke out the word of God if our priorities are wrong (Read Luke 8:11-15). Mary is commended for we find her often returning to the feet of Jesus (Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-6; John 10:1-9).

Two meals were being prepared in the house of Martha and Mary that day. Mary was sitting at the table of the Lord, partaking of the “bread of life.” Jesus said, “If any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever” (John 6:51). Mary was feasting upon that “which shall not be taken away from her.” Martha was preparing a physical meal that would provide nourishment for only a few hours at best. House keeping and all manner of physical toil will be carried on by others after you die. The house you now live in, and the kitchen in which you now serve will one day be occupied by another. In fact, the tabernacle, the physical body in which you reside, will one day return to the dust (Ecclesiastes 12:7). But if you long for, hunger and thirst for, and live by the words of Christ, you shall live forever.

Sometimes we are just too busy, “cumbered about many things,” to serve the Lord effectively. Even the care we exercise toward our own family may cause us to lose our soul. Jesus said, “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37). Many in the church today are so busy with work and household affairs that they do not have time to serve the Lord as they ought. The Lord commands us to study (II Timothy 2:15; II Peter 3:18), to teach our children (Ephesians 6:4), to assemble with the saints (Hebrews 10:24-25), to account others better than self (Philippians 2:3-4). All these take time! The interest of many in spiritual matters melts away because of secular matters until the word of God is choked out.

Let us like Mary, sit at the feet of Jesus, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, with vibrant interest to be more and more like Him.