Martha and Mary

Delivered in English - April 6th, 2025

Passage

Reading: Luke 10:38–42

Luke 10:38–42 CSB

While they were traveling, he entered a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who also 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? So tell her to give me a hand.” 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.”

Introduction

Here we have a passage of two sisters. These two were followers, supporters, and friends of Jesus. The passage takes place in Bethany in Jerusalem.

John 11:1-44 outlines the friendship. They were sisters to Lazarus, who was also a dear friend of Jesus.

This short passage illustrates the frustration between siblings. Martha was busy preparing, serving, and/or cooking to most likely serve and feed not only Jesus, but others who travelled with him, like the disciples. Meanwhile, Mary is sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening instead of helping her sister. What was more important?

We’ll dive deeper into the following points:

Discipleship. When Jesus speaks, we must listen: There is a time for everything. At that moment, Jesus was clearly teaching. When Jesus is teaching, when Jesus is the centre, we must drop all things and listen.

There must be a balance. Serving and listening/learning. Two important things, especially in a church setting. Too much of one thing, the other will lack.

Limited time with Jesus.. for now.

Discipleship

“Discipleship is a process of devotion to a teacher, involving learning from and becoming more like them. In Christianity, it specifically refers to following Jesus' teachings and example through obedience empowered by the Holy Spirit.”

Here we have a clear example of discipleship. Mary sat at the feet of Jesus, a common practice when listening to a master teach. It was the posture of a committed disciple. Mary wanted to learn.

Despite distractions

There was no doubt a number of people present at the home. There were many followers of Jesus. Perhaps the first thing we think of when someone is at our house is, “Oh! I need to prepare food, tea, coffee”.

Despite culture

It was the role of the woman to serve, be a hostess, a homemaker. She challenged the role designated for women. It was a priority for Martha to complete that objective, but Mary’s main objective was to learn from Jesus

Jesus was pleased.

“Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her”.

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 10

A relationship with Jesus cannot be stolen from a person. Jesus is pleased that Mary is learning from Him and that her focus is on time with Him.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible Chapter 10

Martha’s choice would be taken from her, for her services would die with her; Mary’s never, being spiritual and eternal. Both were true-hearted disciples, but the one was absorbed in the higher, the other in the lower of two ways of honoring their common Lord.

Balance

Was it wrong that Martha’s priority was to serve the guests at her house? Not at all. It’s not an easy job for someone to house-keep and be a host. Someone had to do it and it wasn’t just for anyone. The King of Kings was in her home.

Jesus gently rebukes his friend. “Martha, Martha”. Jesus was wise to gently teach Martha that getting mad at someone for listening to his teachings was not correct.

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 10

While the work Martha is doing is important, it is not the most important thing—Jesus Himself is.

In life, we must have balance. In the church setting, there must be balance as well.

There is a time for everything. When it comes time to listen to the Word of God, all must listen.

If the church was full of Martha’s, there would be no listeners of the Word! The church would run efficiently, be clean, but spiritually?

If the church was full of Mary’s, who only sit and listen and learn, but do not serve in other ways could also be bad.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible Chapter 10

The one represents the contemplative, the other the active style of the Christian character. A Church full of Marys would perhaps be as great an evil as a Church full of Marthas. Both are needed, each to be the complement of the other.

The New Bible Commentary 10:25–11:13 The Characteristics of Disciples

The story is not meant to teach the value of a contemplative life compared with a life of action, but to show that service to Jesus must not fill people’s lives to such an extent that they have no time to learn from him. One honours him more by listening to him than by providing excessively for his needs.

John 6:27 “Don’t work for the food that perishes but for the food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set his seal of approval on him.”

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 6

27 Don’t work for the food that perishes but for the food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set his seal of approval on him.”

Limited time with Jesus.. For now.

Jesus was not present on Earth for a long time. His ministry started at 30 years old. His death was at 33. Those present in his time only had a limited time with Jesus before he performed the ultimate sacrifice on the cross. The ultimate act of service. Jesus did not come to the Earth searching for glory, he came to serve.

We learned in a sermon I gave that we have a limited timeline on this Earth as well. We do not know exactly how long we have, but we need to observe and measure our life.

Is my time being well spent learning from Jesus, or are other things taking my time?

It is up to each of us to examine our own hearts and lives to see what is holding us back from serving God with the ‘completeness’ which Jesus longs for.

N. T. Wright

Nicholas Thomas Wright

Conclusion

We must be eager to serve, but more eager to learn of Christ. As the Word says, there’s a time for everything. The important thing is that we use that time wisely.

Yes, there are very important things we do and have in this life. Family, work.. But as our Pastor Marco said, don’t let these things take away too much time from serving the Lord.

Jesus is coming soon. Perhaps we will die before the coming of Christ. We do not know the hour, not even the hour of our own lives. Learn and follow his ways, and serve him and the children of Christ.