Choosing the Better Part
Notes
Transcript
LUKE 10:38-24 | Choosing the Better Part | Common Time | 2025 | Year C
Offertory Prayer
Holy and Reconciling God, in Christ, you have made the invisible visible, bringing us home with love beyond measure. As we offer these gifts, may they reflect our gratitude for your presence in our lives. Use them to build your kingdom, to restore what is broken, and to remind the world of your grace. May our giving be an act of thanksgiving, a sign of the ordinary magic of your love at work among us. In all things, may we live to your glory. Amen.
"Choosing the Better Part"
Sermon Text: Luke 10:38–42
Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”
Introduction: Setting the Scene
There is a famous legend told about Martha of Bethany that was popular in the Middle Ages. In this story, after the resurrection of Jesus, Martha becomes a traveling preacher and finds herself in a small town in France with a chronic dragon problem. Courageously, Martha slays the dragon and, in doing so, wins the entire town over to Christianity. In the same story, her sister Mary establishes a monastery in the wilderness, devoting herself to contemplation and study. Thus, both women embody distinct roles celebrated in Christian history: Martha represents an active faith, boldly confronting challenges, while Mary symbolizes contemplative faith, deeply focused on prayer and learning.
This division of roles echoes Luke's Gospel in our passage today, where Martha busily serves Jesus, while Mary quietly sits at his feet, listening carefully to his words. Both women do good, but Jesus gently clarifies which is "the better part."
Luke tells us: "Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home" (Luke 10:38). Martha immediately, with radical hospitality, gets busy. Her sister Mary, however, takes a very different approach, sitting at Jesus’ feet, deeply listening to his words.
St Augustine highlights this clearly: "Martha demonstrates generous hospitality as she receives Jesus into her home; this is a great work, for she is preparing food for the Holy of Holies and his saints."¹ Who can fault Martha for her efforts? After all, hospitality is a virtue, a sacred duty even.
Yet Jesus praises Mary for choosing something even better.
Two Good Choices
Martha was "worried and distracted by many things" (Luke 10:41). It is important, however, to notice that Jesus does not criticize her actions directly; her hospitality and care are truly admirable, even in the light of Last week’s Parable of the Good Samaritan, which teaches us to be hospitable. The issue isn't Martha's active service, but rather her distraction by secondary matters, which kept her from fully enjoying Jesus' presence.
We can all relate to Martha’s situation. We become so engaged in tasks—even good and noble tasks—that we sometimes overlook the significance of simply being present. Robert Tannehill explains, "Hospitality was very important to the early church, but this story cautions that preoccupation with arrangements can lead one to lose contact with the community’s real purpose."²
Jesus does not diminish Martha's work; rather, he gently reminds her that being with him is a rare and precious opportunity. The mistake isn't serving; it’s allowing the tasks themselves to distract her from the greater blessing of fellowship with Jesus.
Consider how easily we become overwhelmed by our responsibilities and duties. We often feel the pressure to constantly perform, produce, and prove ourselves. Martha’s actions reflect an earnest and heartfelt commitment to serving Jesus, yet her worry and anxiety about perfection robbed her of the joy available in the moment.
Mary’s Choice—the Better Portion
Mary, on the other hand, makes the choice to sit at the Lord’s feet and listen attentively (Luke 10:39). In doing so, Mary takes the role of a disciple, a role typically reserved for men in her culture. Mary steps outside expected social norms to assert her right to engage directly with the teachings of Jesus.³
Ambrose of Milan highlights this point: "Nor is Martha rebuked in her good serving, but Mary is preferred because she has chosen the better part for herself, for Jesus abounds with many blessings and bestows many gifts."⁴ Mary is choosing to savor every moment with Jesus, recognizing the unique value of his immediate presence.
Augustine further elaborates on this by noting, "service to the body is transitory, whereas listening to the Word of God is eternal."⁵ Mary's choice was about embracing what was eternal and imperishable.
This choice was not one made out of laziness or disregard for responsibilities; rather, Mary recognized an extraordinary moment and seized it fully. Her decision invites us to evaluate how often we miss opportunities to slow down, be present, and truly hear what Christ is saying to us.
Discipleship as Hearing and Doing
To fully grasp the message of today's passage, it helps to consider what Luke says elsewhere about discipleship. In Luke 6:47-48, Jesus describes discipleship clearly: "Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and acts on them…is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock." Luke also emphasizes this dual nature of discipleship in Luke 8:21, where Jesus says, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it," and again in Luke 11:27-28, affirming that true blessedness comes from both hearing and obeying God's word.
I have a professor at Duke Divinity School, Brittany Wilson, who insightfully pointed out, this passage becomes even richer when we recognize its direct connection to last week's passage—the parable of the Good Samaritan. The Good Samaritan emphasizes compassionate action—doing. Martha is also engaged in important "doing" through her hospitality. However, in the story of Mary and Martha, Jesus shifts our focus slightly: yes, action is essential, but action alone is not sufficient without attentive listening and genuine presence with Jesus. Wilson reminds us that this juxtaposition emphasizes not an either/or scenario, but a both/and—discipleship is both listening and doing, both contemplation and action.
New Testament scholar Amy-Jill Levine affirms this balance, noting that Jesus is not dismissing Martha’s ministry as unimportant but rather redirecting her focus toward what is most essential in the moment—connection to Christ. Levine writes, “One cannot do ministry until one is connected; instruction comes before doing, learning comes before action, and listening to the word is required before running a house-church.”¹ This realignment isn't about devaluing service, but about anchoring it in communion with Jesus.
Another commentator, Richard Vinson, also contributes to this understanding by reminding us that Martha was not wrong to serve. Indeed, Luke portrays both Martha and Mary as valid expressions of discipleship. Vinson writes, “Martha and Mary as complementary: Both could be considered responses appropriate to first-time hearers of the gospel or to long-time disciples of the Lord.”² Service and listening are not opposing forces; they are complementary graces that shape our following of Jesus.
We are meant to learn from Martha’s distraction not so we avoid service, but so we stay grounded in the joy of Christ’s presence even in our service. When our doing becomes detached from our being with Jesus, it leads to anxiety, resentment, and burnout. But when action is rooted in presence, it becomes an offering of love.
The Good Samaritan represents what it means to love one’s neighbor, while Mary models what it means to love God with heart, soul, and mind.³ Loving God and neighbor are two halves of the same call to discipleship. Action and contemplation must work together. We do not need to choose one over the other. Instead, we need to ask: are our actions an overflow of our time spent at Jesus’ feet?
Engaging the Congregation: Practical Reflection
As we reflect on Martha and Mary's choices, we should also pause and ask ourselves: What does our day-to-day discipleship look like? Are we able to discern the difference between being productive and being faithful?
Think of your own life—what is currently pulling at your attention? Is it your family obligations, personal or professional aspirations, or even church responsibilities? None of these are wrong in themselves, yet they become problematic if they overshadow our ability to hear and experience the voice of God clearly. What does it look like for us, practically, to choose "the better part" today?
Perhaps it means deliberately setting aside moments of quiet prayer, immersing ourselves in scripture, or intentionally participating in worship without distraction. It might mean reorienting our daily activities so that they flow out of our relationship with Christ, rather than allowing our busy schedules to dictate the extent of our spiritual lives.
Conclusion: Invitation to Choose the Better Part
Let’s revisit Martha and Mary one last time. Both sisters followed Christ faithfully—one in active service, the other in contemplative devotion. Martha didn't make a mistake by choosing hospitality; rather, Mary simply chose the best portion at that particular moment: being directly in the presence of Jesus during his limited time among humanity.
Jesus lovingly invites each of us to find this balance in our own lives: to serve diligently, yes, but also to recognize and treasure those precious opportunities when we can simply sit at his feet, listening deeply, savoring the presence of our Lord.
So, as a way of practicing this now—not just later—I'd like to invite you into a moment of presence with Christ and each other. In just a moment, we’ll pause together in silence. During that silence, I invite you to turn to someone near you—perhaps someone you don’t know well—and ask them, “Where have you heard from God this week?” Or, “How can I pray for you this week?”
Let’s take time to listen—not just to Christ in our hearts, but to Christ present in our neighbors. Like Mary, may we choose the better part in this very room. May we make space for presence, for listening, for grace shared in community.
After this time of sharing, we’ll close with prayer.
Let us Pray:
Gracious God, In the stillness of this moment, We pause to acknowledge your presence among us. Like Mary, may we sit at your feet, eager to listen, And like Martha, may our service be rooted in love, not anxiety. Help us to dwell in you before we move for you. Teach us to listen deeply—to you, to one another, and to the needs of this world. Let the better portion we choose today sustain us tomorrow, So that our doing may always flow from our being with you.
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Benediction
Go now with hearts attuned to Christ’s presence, listening like Mary, serving like Martha, and loving like the Savior who draws near.
In your speaking and your silence, your doing and your resting, may you choose the better part— and may it never be taken from you.
Go in peace, to love and serve the Lord. Amen.
Footnotes:
¹ Augustine, Sermons 255.2, quoted in Arthur Just Jr., ed., Luke (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2003), 372.
² Robert C. Tannehill, Luke, Abingdon New Testament Commentaries (Nashville: Abingdon Press, n.d.), 10:38–42.
³ Tannehill, Luke, 10:38–42.
⁴ Ambrose, Exposition of the Gospel of Luke 7.85-86, quoted in Arthur Just Jr., ed., Luke (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2003), 373.
⁵ Augustine, Sermon 179.5, quoted in Arthur Just Jr., ed., Luke, 372.
⁶ Joseph A. Fitzmyer, The Gospel According to Luke (X-XXIV) (New Haven: Anchor Yale Bible, 1985), 891–895.
⁷ Ambrose, Exposition of the Gospel of Luke 7.85-86, 373.
8 From the Iona Community’s Iona Abbey Worship Book (Wild Goose Publications, Iona Community, 2001).
¹ Amy-Jill Levine, “Luke 10:38–42,” in The Jewish Annotated New Testament, eds. Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler (Oxford University Press, 2011), 130.
² Richard B. Vinson, “Luke,” in The Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary Series, (Smyth & Helwys, 2008), 331.
³ Charles H. Talbert, Reading Luke: A Literary and Theological Commentary on the Third Gospel (Crossroad, 1982), 114.
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