38 Now as they went on their way, 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, who also sat at the
Lord’s feet, and heard his word. 40 But Martha was cumbered about
much serving; and she came up to him, and said, Lord, dost thou
not care that my sister did leave me to serve alone? bid her
therefore that she help me. 41 But the Lord answered and said unto
her, Martha, Martha, thou art anxious and troubled about many
things: 42 but one thing is needful: for Mary hath chosen the good
part, which shall not be taken away from her.
The unfailing human interest of Luke is nowhere more perfectly expressed
than by this exquisite scene in the home at Bethany. It is to be regretted
that it has become the occasion for endless debate as to the relative
merits of Martha and Mary. Some imagine that the former was unloving but
energetic and efficient, and that the latter was affectionate, but
sentimental and indolent. In reality both sisters had admirable qualities;
both loved the Master and longed to please him; but on this occasion
Martha, in her very eagerness to serve, had overburdened herself in the
preparation of an elaborate meal, while Mary, with truer intuition of what
Jesus wished, “sat at the Lord’s feet, and heard his word.” She knew that
he desired, not for his own sake, but for theirs, to reveal himself and to
deliver his heavenly message, and thus according to the fine art of
hospitality, she considered first the wish of her guest and was thus doing
more to entertain the Master than was her sister.
“Martha was cumbered about much serving;” she was distracted by the many
things she was trying to do. It is possible for a follower of Christ to
attempt too much; sometimes this is due to a sense of self-importance and
of pride. It may result in such a mood of irritation and temper as was
shown by Martha when in criticizing her sisters he humiliated her by
rebuking her in the presence of their Guest, and by addressing the remark
to him rebuked him as well, “Lord, dost thou not care that my sister did
leave me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.” In his reply
Jesus showed his affection by tenderly repeating her name, but he rebuked
her spirit and revealed its cause, “Martha, Martha, thou art anxious and
troubled about many things: but one thing is needful: for Mary hath chosen
the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” There was no need
for an elaborate meal; but few things or one would have sufficed; yet one
thing was needful, and that Mary had chosen, for while the Master does
appreciate all that we undertake for him, he knows that our first need is
to sit at his feet and learn his will; then in our tasks we shall be calm
and peaceful and kindly, and at last our service may attain the
perfectness of that of Mary when in a later scene she poured upon the feet
of Jesus the ointment, the perfume of which still fills the world.