She Day 10 Sisters In Christ: Digging Deeper
November 10, 2023
Discover the original intent of Scripture. Make good application to our everyday lives.
Become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!
Luke 10:38-42
40 But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to serve alone? So tell her to give me a hand.” 41 The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.”
The Original Intent
1) Why was Martha so distracted by the guests and Mary so eager to listen? (verses 39-40)
In Luke 10:39-40, Jesus’ friend, Mary, “sat at the Lord’s feet and was listening to what He said. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to serve alone?’” Martha, with love and good intentions, allowed the tyranny of the urgent distract her from seeking a place at the Lords feet. While men were expected to sit at Jesus’ feet and learn, managing the household was a woman’s job in Biblical times. (Proverbs 31:27)
It would be a daunting task, especially when crowds of people turned up at your house to hear Jesus. Mary’s choice to learn from Jesus with the men rather than working alongside Martha was as astounding to Martha as it assuredly was to the men gathered there that day. Rather than realizing she should follow Mary’s lead, Martha could only resent that all of the work fell to her.
Grace Valentine notes that “Martha may have been the one who was being productive, but she was missing out on her purpose . . . You only have one purpose, and it is Jesus. . . Jesus doesn’t want your schedule, your hustle or your good deeds. Jesus wants YOU.”
Martha could not see past the important tasks and needs of the day to discover what Mary saw, which was the invitation of Jesus to be filled with every good thing through His love. (Ephesians 3:19) Cynthia Heald suggests, “the sitting is a prerequisite to knowing the serving that is God-directed, that furthers His Kingdom, and that is right for [you].”
Mary understood that listening and learning from Jesus would prepare her for the service He had laid out for her.
The Everyday Application
1) Why was Martha so distracted by the guests and Mary so eager to listen? (verses 39-40)
In high school, my sister, our friend and I were assigned to write and perform a skit, including preparing historical recipes for our classmates. We underestimated the food service time, so my friend and I ad-libbed while my sister served the tiny crowd.
She kept beckoning us for help, but we were focused on our impromptu dialogue (“Such excellent corn, my dear! etc) She wanted us to stop the play to help her serve, but we knew the show must go on! We were having our own Mary & Martha moment right there in the school gymnasium.
In Luke 10: 39-40, Jesus visits Lazarus, Martha and Mary. Mary “sat at the Lord’s feet and was listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to serve alone?’” I think we have all felt like Martha at some point, distracted by our tasks and exasperated by ministering to others at the expense of having our own needs met.
The good news is that Jesus does not call us to service without equipping us and preparing us by His grace and by time in His presence. (1 Corinthians 15:10) Denisse Copeland asserts, “Christ wasn’t exalting Mary above her sister (or any of us). Rather, He was inviting Martha to be at peace. Mary had chosen peace in that moment, but Jesus wasn’t encouraging Martha to competitive comparison. He was inviting her to observe an example and follow.”
Jesus wants everyone to experience what Mary found. He appreciated Martha’s service, but He cared more about her heart and spending time with her, which was intended to fuel her service.
The Original Intent
2) What was the necessary thing that Mary chose? (verses 41-42)
When Martha complained to Jesus that her sister wasn’t helping her with her hosting duties, “The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41-42)
Jesus pointed out that spending time in His presence was the only necessary thing on Martha’s pressing to-do list. (1 John 1:3) Jesus was not rebuking Martha as much as showing her a better way. Pastor Robert Morris notes, “In Biblical language, when you use a person’s name twice, it’s compassion…like saying ‘I understand how you feel’”.
In repeating Martha’s name, Jesus was telling her that her concerns were important to Him, but not more important than letting Him teach and lead her. Mary chose the necessary thing, to sit at the feet of Jesus to listen, learn, and adore. (Psalm 27:4) She probably knew her sister had other expectations for her that day, but the presence of God in her midst drew her to His feet to hear and ponder His teachings.
David Guzik suggests “There are people like Mary: Those who know how to serve and also sit at Jesus’ feet. There are people like Martha: Those who diligently, and with the best intention serve God, but without adding the one thing – a continued focus on Jesus – and it results in great frustration.” That relationship with Jesus was what Mary chose and what Jesus offered to Martha. He promised that once she learned His ways and aligned hers with His, everything else would fall into place. (Matthew 6:33)
The Everyday Application
2) What was the necessary thing that Mary chose? (verses 41-42)
My friend loved to go fishing with his dad when he was a kid, but it was a rare treat. One summer, he begged to go fishing until his busy dad finally gave in and drove him several hours to their favorite fishing hole. Once they got there, though, his Dad couldn’t take his mind off of his responsibilities and didn’t even put a hook in the water. “You have fun fishing,” he told his son, “but I can’t enjoy it with so much on my mind.”
His Dad was so preoccupied that he couldn’t concentrate on the reason he drove hours away from home—to spend time with his son. His Dad was anxious like Martha in the Bible, whom the Lord told, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41-42)
Martha’s sister, Mary, chose to give her time and attention to the Lord, but Martha let her worries and responsibilities keep her from focusing on God in her midst. Jesus let Martha know that He wanted her to spend time with Him, too. Pastor Robert Morris contends, “Every time stress and tension come into your life, you have a choice whether to get quiet or get busy.”
Jesus wanted Martha to come to Him when she felt worried and experience His peace instead of trying to cover the anxiety with busyness. (Ephesians 2:17) Jesus wanted Martha to know He could take care of everything she was worried about. (Philippians 4:6-7)
All she needed to do was seek Him and receive from Him. God has work for all of us to do, but not in our own strength and never alone. (Ephesians 6:10)
The Original Intent
3) Why did Jesus say Mary’s choice would not be taken away from her? (verse 42)
When Jesus described how Martha was worried, but Mary had chosen the one necessary thing, He said, “Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:42) He may have been referencing women having access to religious instruction.
It was highly uncommon for women to be taught alongside men, or even at all, in ancient cultures, but Jesus said women were just as welcome to learn at His feet as men. Indeed, many of His traveling entourage were women. (Luke 8:1-3) Christine Caine points out that in 1st century Israel, women “were second-class citizens at best . . . Women had few rights inside the home and practically none outside of it. They were not counted as members during a synagogue count, and received little or no religious education, except from their husband if he so desired.”
When Mary recognized that the most important thing was to sit learning and worshipping at Jesus’ feet, Jesus welcomed her into His presence. He did not banish her from the room or limit her to access to Him. He allowed her to sit at His feet, and He invited Martha to do the same.
Adam Clarke notes, “This was the posture of the Jewish scholars, while listening to the instructions of the [rabbis.] It is in this sense that St. Paul says he was brought up at the FEET of Gamaliel, Acts 22:3”. The Good News of Jesus is that He invites everyone, male and female, to learn from Him and accept His love. (Acts 10:34) Jesus welcomed Mary, invited Martha, and beckons us today to sit at His feet and become more like Him. (2 Corinthians 3:18)
The Everyday Application
3) Why did Jesus say Mary’s choice would not be taken away from her? (verse 42)
The story of Eric Liddell, Scottish missionary to China, is fascinating, particularly his participation in the 1924 Paris Olympics as a track and field athlete for Great Britain (depicted in the film Chariots of Fire).
Liddell did not believe it was right to work (or run) on the Sabbath, so he chose to forego a race held on a Sunday, though it would end his Olympic bid. A team mate offered to switch races with him, allowing him to run another day of the week and win a gold medal for Great Britain, bringing glory to God through his victory.
It was almost as if God was saying about Eric Liddell what he said about Mary in Luke 10:42 when she chose to focus on God by sitting at His feet, “Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:42) God is well-pleased when we spend time with Him (John 15:4), allowing Him to teach us and provide for us. He desires and delights in our obedience (John 14:15) and our worship (Psalm 150:6).
John Piper says, “Mary was more enthralled with Jesus than with Mary. She cared more about what Jesus said than what others thought of her or her home. And because of this, Jesus commended her choice not to serve.” When we choose to follow in His ways, God honors that decision because He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)
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