As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”
But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42 NLT
This familiar story from the life of Jesus has caused considerable confusion and consternation over the years as people have felt Martha was doing something wonderful for Jesus and His disciples. This was quite a crowd, and there likely were even more invited than the thirteen we know were there. Wasn’t Martha doing a good thing, maybe even a marvelous thing, to invite them into her home and feed them? She must have been an excellent cook to take on the challenge without being asked. Perhaps she thought people in surrounding villages would hear of this meal and step up to taking better care of Jesus. Nothing seems to have been wrong with her motive at all. Fixing food was always a good thing. Nothing was wrong with wishing she had some help. So what was the problem?
The Mary-Martha dilemma is the perfect illustration of letting something good overtake what is best. Martha’s idea for a big dinner was nice and good, but it was HER plan, her decision, not Jesus’ direction. She welcomed the Teacher into her home and immediately went to work on her agenda. This wasn’t any Rabbi – He was THE teacher, THE Rabbi, the One who claimed to be God in the flesh. Feeding Him was good; letting Him feed her the words of true life was much better. She would never have another opportunity quite like this again. She could skip the big dinner with the many preparations and serve something small and simple but adequate after she sat at the feet of Jesus with Mary. She could devote her attention to listening to the words of Jesus and experiencing a Presence she would never forget. Or, she could hustle and worry about all the details of the big meal and miss irreplaceable time with Jesus, God Himself. Good or best? You know the answer. Jesus affirmed it. Jesus was best.
So many times, we are like Martha. Our affection for what people think, our reputations, what we enjoy, our preferred schedule – so many things, all good things – take Jesus’ priority place in our lives. We feel good while neglecting the best.
- Jesus, when I am honest, I see too many days, in too many ways, where You are neglected over a “good” choice. Help me be honest in my devotion and active following.