Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. And she had a sister called Mary, who was also seated at the Lord’s feet, and was listening to His word. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do the serving by myself? Then tell her to help me.” But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; but only one thing is necessary; for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42 NASB

Martha was in a panic, convinced something would go wrong with the dinner. That led her to blame her sister Mary and to try to get Jesus to blame her, too. In our limited human paradigm we might read the words of Jesus and think Martha wrong, Mary right. But wait. Every time I read this passage I wonder, but who is going to make dinner? Jesus does not seem to give us that answer.

“I will not tell her to leave my instruction,” said the Lord. “You may go about your work Mary is honoring me as much as you are, if not more.”
There is a certain degree of self-righteousness in Martha’s request. This did not mean Mary was perfect or that Martha was wholly to be condemned. Both had much to learn from Jesus, and Mary was more in the way of it. Still, Martha was doing good service. Martha’s fault was not so much her preoccupation with household chores. It was her request that her sister be separated from her discipleship with Jesus. There is need for both preparation of the meal and worship at the feet of Jesus. Both were important, and Jesus was not about to deny Mary her discipleship.

We may sometimes run with Martha to do what Christ needs of us. But we should more frequently sit with Mary to receive from Christ what we need from Him. Adapted, Charles Spurgeon (1834 – 1892)