“Distracted with Much Service”
March 25, 2022
Every time I read Luke 10:38-42, even though I know how the account ends, I root for Martha to receive credit for her serving and hospitality while Jesus was visiting in her home. Martha and Mary, along with their brother Lazarus, were dear friends of Jesus, and in this passage of Scripture, Jesus and His disciples entered the village in which Martha lived, and Martha invited them into her home.
38 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. 40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
We read in this account that Martha was cumbered, or distracted with serving, while her sister Mary sat at the feet of Jesus. Can we blame Martha for being distracted with much service? After all, Jesus is visiting in her home. It makes sense that Martha would want everything to be perfect for Jesus. However, Martha felt alone in her service and even asked Jesus if He cared that her sister had left her alone to serve. Here’s where I want to cheer loudly for Martha and speak through the passage of time and into the pages of Scripture and say to Martha, “I care. I wish I were there to help you fold the napkins into swan shapes. I wish you had help making everything perfect for Jesus.”
Martha did nothing wrong in working hard for Jesus—that was good. The problem was that she became “cumbered about much serving”. She became distracted by serving and ultimately distracted from Jesus. Martha’s real problem was not Mary; it was Martha. In her distractions, she took her eyes off Jesus, and became frustrated with her sister. Martha’s frustration with Mary, however, is often a typical one for those who diligently serve with good intentions, but forget to “also sit at Jesus’ feet”.
When Jesus replied to Martha, He used her name twice- “Martha, Martha”. If Jesus used my name twice you can be sure He would have my attention!
41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: 42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
Martha expected Christ to have blamed Mary for not doing what Martha was doing, but He blamed Martha for not doing what Mary did. I am sure Jesus appreciated the need for good housekeeping and hospitality, but only when that is the most appropriate focus. On this day, Jesus would have preferred that Martha put down the meat platter and join her sister at His feet. One thing was needful that day, and Mary had chosen it—to sit at Jesus’ feet and hear His word.
To sit at Jesus’ feet implies a devotion to Him and a readiness to accept and be guided by His teaching. Mary had “chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her”. Hers was a focused devotion to Jesus that had eternal dividends.
Many people are like Martha—diligent in serving the Lord with the best of intentions, but without adding the one thing that is good and needful—focusing on Jesus. And many people are like Mary—they know to serve and when to serve, and when it is most needful to sit at Jesus’ feet.
I imagine that I will always root for Martha when I read these verses in Luke 10:38-42. The Bible does not tell us what Martha did after Jesus responded to her, but I hope that she did add the one needful thing to her diligent service. I hope she put down the dish rag, the broom, and the entre, to sit with her sister at Jesus’ feet and listen to His word! And I will always hope for myself, whatever the distractions, even if they seem like good ones, are distractions I will put aside and choose the “one thing [that] is needful”.