Are You A Martha or A Mary?
Are You A Martha or A Mary?
“And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: but one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:41-42
I love this set of verses. From verse 38 until verse 42 Martha believes that her service to Jesus was far superior to Mary. After all Mary was only sitting at Jesus’ feet - paying attention to Him.
Jesus says to Martha - “thou art careful and troubled about many things:”
This is so true in many aspects of my life today. I find myself placing more and more things in front of me that Jesus isn’t at the front anymore. If we aren’t careful we can become carried away with the things that aren’t important in life.
Martha wasn’t wrong in tending to the many things that needed to be done. However, she pointed out to Jesus that she was doing more than Mary and questioned whether or not He cared.
Jesus was telling Martha that it wasn’t all that she was doing, it was the fact that she wasn’t putting Jesus first. He explains that there was One Thing that was needful - Him!
Serving is important unless we make it about serving and not about Jesus Christ. Sometimes we can get so concerned about what someone else is doing or isn’t doing that it can take our eyes off of serving God.
So many times I get caught up in all I have to do; chores, lists, busywork - that Jesus becomes second. It’s not intentional, but it also isn’t intentional. Know what I mean?
If I don’t intentionally put God first, it can become second. I can unintentionally put God somewhere other than the front, where He should always be.
With the way life works, we don’t intend to put God at the end of our list. But if we aren’t careful He won’t be first.
Martha got carried away with all that she had to do, that to her, Mary wasn’t doing her part.
Mary was doing what was important - keeping her eyes on Jesus.
Don’t get carried away being a Martha - be a Mary!
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.
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.”
Luke 10:38-42