Adapted from the study ‘She, volume 1, p 31-32
Read: Luke 10:38-40
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.
Luke 10:38-40
My mother was the queen of rummage sales and alley finds, and refurbishing the treasures she found was her gift. Perhaps this explains some of why she loved to entertain. Whether it was her bridge night with her besties from high school, a larger gathering of friends, or dinner for the extended family, some of my fondest childhood memories are of when we had guests over.
However, having guests over often meant chores, like polishing silver, extra dusting, and cleaning throughout the house. It wasn’t that I truly minded the chores that came before the guests, but once the guests arrived, I wanted to be in the midst of them. Even if the company did not include other children, I wanted to hear the conversations and/or simply watch their interaction. Along the way, I learned that while I enjoyed being with the guests, the ‘hosting’ responsibilities were important as well. I also learned that hosting brought its own joy. That being said, I am still very much a ‘Mary” at heart, particularly if the Word is being taught or discussed (I credit this to my dad, who loved to discuss and expound on the Word or sit and talk with others about questions they had or things they had learned). As for Mary and Martha, the good news is that today’s passage of our journey teaches neither is bad/wrong; in fact, both are good. However, it is important to note that while Martha’s concern for and act of hospitality were not wrong, hospitality was not the most important thing. The most important thing was to “sit at His feet”.1 –
Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look clear in his wonderful face – and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus/Selah
Today’s study guide points out something that surprised me. Maybe you’ve always known it, but for me it was somehow new. Martha and Mary had both sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His Word (vs 39), but as verse 40 notes, “Martha was distracted“ first, by the preparations that still needed to be done, and then by the fact that Mary wasn’t helping her, and finally (and perhaps most sadly), to the idea that Jesus did not care that she had been left alone to serve. The thing that stands out to me in Martha’s distraction is that once her mind was distracted by the need to serve, more distractions followed.
Reflection/Application:
- Martha asked Jesus, “Don’t you care that my sister has left me alone to serve?”
- Did He care about Martha?
- Does He care for us?
Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7
- How can you serve Him more?
Share your thoughts or comments/questions in the comment section or join me at my FB page, Journey Through the Word, for more discussion.
Me From the Inside Out 