Luke 10:38-42
Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”
The Gospel paints a picture of God comes to meet man: Jesus actively visits Martha and Mary, bestowing grace upon them. The hospitality Jesus receives is somewhat similar to Abraham's reception of the three men. While Martha is busy serving, Mary seizes the opportunity to sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha expresses her love for Jesus through her actions, yet her busy work prevents her from focusing on Him, leading her to complain, become angry, and even blame her sister. When service turns into a source of frustration, the essence of serving is lost. People are not afraid of being busy; but fear chaos. Martha forgets the object of her service and the purpose of her busyness, which is to welcome Jesus, resulting in a “troubled heart”.
In contrast, Mary clearly understands the most important thing as a disciple: spending time listening to Jesus’ words. Jesus also explicitly states, “Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” When Jesus speaks among them, it should be a moment for listening rather than working. Mary quietly sits at Jesus’ feet, listening to Him speak, and His words draw her in; Martha, on the other hand, is not attracted by Jesus’ words but is busy with her tasks. This reminds us of the importance of prioritizing our relationship with God amid our busy lives.
Do we often get distracted by trivial matters and tasks, causing us to overlook intimate encounters with God? When we choose to listen to God's voice, we can experience His love more deeply.
Practice
If today we are the ones hosting Jesus, what would we do? Martha wholeheartedly wants to be a responsible host, while Mary is devoted to being a good disciple. In fact, the Gospel does not teach us to choose between “work or spirituality”, but rather to discover that Jesus is the true master of our lives and families. When we are willing to let Jesus be the master of our lives, we will, like Mary, enjoy “sitting at the Lord's feet, listening to Him speak”. This is the most appropriate response to Jesus, as a Christian's spiritual life is shaped by God's Word.
Today’s Bible verses
“He who
does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.” (Psalm 15:1)
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