MARTHA AND MARY

John 11:5> “Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister Mary and Lazarus”

Luke 10:38-40 > “….Martha welcomed Jesus into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the feet of Jesus and heard His Word. But Martha was distracted with much serving and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me”

 

Greetings to you in the matchless Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. May His face shine upon you and your family throughout this month.

 

In the above passage we read about what has happened in a family which loved Jesus very much.

Jesus came to Bethany, to visit the home of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. Jesus had apparently come at Martha’s invitation.  She was the one who welcomed Him in, signifying that she was the actual master of ceremonies in this house. I love the way Jesus came across in this scene.  He was the perfect houseguest.  He instantly made Himself at home.  He enjoyed the fellowship and conversation, and as always, His contribution to the discussion was instructive and enlightening.

The story of Mary and Martha has long been one of the most treasured narratives in the Scripture.  Certainly hospitality was a special hallmark of this family.  Martha in particular is portrayed everywhere as a meticulous hostess. Who doesn’t identify with hardworking Martha, frustrated with her captivated sister at the feet of the Lord?  And who doesn’t admire the single-minded devotion of Mary?  Mary’s instinct was to sit at His feet and listen.  Martha, ever the fastidious one, went right to work with her preparations.

But this older sister, a noble and beloved follower of Jesus, was in for a surprise. At the end of Luke 10, Jesus gave Martha a mild rebuke and a strong lesson about where her real priorities ought to lie.  The passage is short but rich.  Luke writes: But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only a few things are necessary, really only one, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” Martha’s complaint sounds callow and girlish.  And yet Jesus’ reply, while containing a mild rebuke, has an almost grandfatherly tone to it.

A couple of important lessons emerge from Jesus’ reprimand of Martha.  As you read on, try to imagine yourself in Martha and Mary’s home and contemplate your own work and service for the Lord.

Lesson One:  The Preference of Others over Self
Jesus’ gentle admonition to Martha is first of all a reminder that we should honor others over ourselves.  Humility had been a constant theme in Jesus’ teaching, and a difficult lesson for most of His disciples to learn.  Even on the night of Jesus’ betrayal, each of the disciples had ignored basic hospitality rather than take a servant’s role and wash the others’ feet (John 13:1-7).

Martha’s external behavior at first appeared to be true servant hood.  She was the one who put on the apron and went to work in the task of serving others.  But her treatment of Mary soon revealed a serious defect in her servant’s heart.  She allowed herself to become censorious and sharp-tongued.  Such words in front of other guests were certain to humiliate Mary.  Martha either gave no thought to the hurtful effect of her words on her sister, or she simply didn’t care.

Martha’s behavior shows how subtly and sinfully human pride can corrupt even the best of our actions.  What Martha was doing was by no means a bad thing.  She was waiting on Christ and her other guests.  In a very practical and functional sense, she was acting as servant to all, just as Christ had so often commanded.  She no doubt began with the best of motives and the noblest of intentions. But the moment she stopped listening to Christ and made something other than Him the focus of her heart and attention, her perspective became very self-centered.  Worst of all, Martha’s words impugned the Lord Himself:  “Lord, do You not care…?” Lk. 10:40.  Did she really imagine that He did not care?  She certainly knew better.  Jesus’ love for all three members of this family was obvious to all (John 11:5).

Mary, by contrast, was so consumed with thoughts of Christ that she became completely oblivious to everything else.  She sat at His feet and listened to Him intently, absorbing His every word and nuance.  She was by no means being lazy.  She simply understood the true importance of this occasion.  The Son of God Himself was a guest in her home.  Listening to Him and worshiping Him were at that moment the very best use of Mary’s energies and the one right place for her to focus her attention.

If Martha had truly preferred Mary over herself, she might have seen in Mary a depth of understanding and love for Christ that surpassed even her own.  She could have learned much from her quieter, more thoughtful sister.  But not right now. Martha had a table to set, a meal to get out of the oven, and “many things” she was “worried and bothered about”.  Before she knew it, her resentment against Mary had built up, and she could no longer restrain herself.  Her public criticism of Mary was an ugly expression of pride. [Many people think that by shouting in front of others, they can achieve their wish- but it is actually ugly expression of self-pride]

Lesson Two:  The Priority of Worship over Service
It’s interesting to read this narrative and try to imagine how the average woman might respond if placed in a situation like Martha’s.  My strong suspicion is that many women [and men] would be inclined to sympathize with Martha, not Mary.  After all, it would normally be considered rude to let your sister do all the hard work in the kitchen while you sit chatting with guests.

So in a real sense, Martha’s feelings were natural and somewhat understandable.  That may be one reason Jesus’ rebuke was so mild.  In normal circumstances, any older sister would think it obligatory for the younger sister to help in serving a meal to guests.  In other words, what Martha expected Mary to do was, in itself, perfectly fine and good.

Nevertheless, what Mary was doing was better still.  She had “chosen the good part”.  She had discovered the one thing needful:  true worship and devotion of her heart and full attention to Christ.  That was a higher priority even than service, and the good part she had chosen would not be taken away from her, even for the sake of something as gracious and beneficial as helping Martha prepare Jesus a meal.  Mary’s humble, obedient heart was a far greater gift to Christ than Martha’s well-set table.

This establishes worship as the highest of all priorities for every Christian.  Nothing, including even service rendered to Christ, is more important than listening to Him and honoring Him with our hearts.  Remember what Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well:  God is seeking true worshipers (John4:23).  Christ had found one in Mary.  He would not affirm Martha’s reprimand of her, because it was Mary, not Martha, who properly understood that worship is a higher duty to Christ than service rendered on His behalf.

It is a danger, even for those of us who love Christ, which we should not become so concerned with doing things for Him that we begin to neglect hearing Him and remembering what He has done for us.  Never allow your service for Christ to crowd out your worship of Him!  The moment our works become more important to us than our worship, we have turned true spiritual priorities on their heads.

Martha and Mary also remind us that God uses all kinds of people.  He has gifted us differently for a reason, and we’re not to despise one another or look at others with contempt, just because we have differing temperaments or contrasting personalities.

Martha was a noble and godly woman with a servant’s heart and a rare capacity for work.  Mary was nobler still, with an unusual predisposition for worship and wisdom.  Both were remarkable in their own ways.  If we weight their gifts and their instincts together, they give us a wonderful example to follow.  May we diligently cultivate the best instincts of both of these extraordinary women.

Prayer: Lord, give me the grace to listen to you first, worship you and then carry out your wish. In jesus