Be a Mary

Luke relates an interesting story to us in Luke Chapter 10.

³⁸As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. ³⁹She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. ⁴⁰But 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!”  ⁴¹“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, ⁴²but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Jesus had come to visit Martha and Mary. The Rabbi, the Lord, the Messiah had come to their home to fellowship. Of course there was much to be done; A meal to prepare, the table to lay, the spare bed to change… Jesus would want to be comfortable wouldn’t he? He would want to be fed, surely? Martha saw these ‘needs’ and set out to fulfil them. Her sister Mary however was more content to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to what He was saying.

I can imagine Jesus seated in the main room of the house speaking to His disciples and those gathered around Him, in the background Martha is running around  sweeping, and cooking, and doing, and doing. She is struggling to hear what Jesus is saying, she wants to, but there is so much to do! I can image Martha getting more and more upset as she looks and see Mary sitting at the teachers feet. Does she not see what needs to be done? The food needs preparing, the floor is dirty, the spare bed needs clean sheets. Finally, enough is enough! ”Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?”

Jesus’ reply is interesting and holds a very important lesson, “you are worried and upset about many things [Martha], but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken from her.”

Often times as Christians we can find ourselves in Martha’s position. We can see needs that need fulfilling. We can see work that needs to be done. Many times however we forget to rest in Him. We forget to abide. Our busy Christian lives can push out our time with Him. Our devotional life can become short and brief as we find we need more time to fulfil the needs. 

If Jesus would have asked for a drink of water who do you think would have given it to Him, Martha or Mary? Mary was at His feet, she was right there, listening, accessible. Just a quiet word and she would be up and get Him a cup of water. Martha would have been too busy. She would not have heard the master’s request, at least not until she stopped to listen or Jesus shouted.

Where are you? Are you at His feet where you can hear what He wants, or are you about the work doing what you think He wants? The needs you see around you, the work you believe needs to be done. I don’t think that Jesus is too concerned about those things. He is more concerned about you and where you are. If He needs you to do something, let Him speak it to you. Don’t presume. Be a Mary, chose that which is better.